Patna: A sub-inspector of police stabbed a constable with the vigilance investigation bureau (VIB) after being caught taking bribe on the police station premises on Tuesday.

Constable Mritunjay Kumar, 48, was rushed to a private hospital. A vigilance bureau team had gone to arrest sub-inspector (SI) Nathuni Ram, 56, posted at the Dhanarua police station in Patna district.

Deputy superintendent of police Pratap Ranjan Sinha, who was leading the team, said a trap was laid to catch SI Ram red-handed. As soon as he accepted Rs 20,000 as bribe from the complainant, Ramesh Bhagat, the trap team took him into custody. But the SI suddenly attacked constable Mritunjay with a knife. Other members of the team intervened and overpowered him. The constable was admitted to a local private hospital.

The vigilance DSP said the arrested SI had demanded bribe from Bhagat to help him in a criminal case against his son Rajesh Prasad. The DSP said a case of attempt to murder was lodged against the SI. Dhanarua police station house officer Ajay Kumar Singh said Bhagat's son is a ward councillor and he had lodged a case of robbery against the mukhiya of Satparsa panchayat. The mukhiya registered a counter-case against Prasad allegeding he had abused and threatening him with dire consequences.

The SHO said that a dispute over development work in the panchayat was the reason behind differences between the two.

The arrested sub-inspector, said to be a resident of Bhabua in Kaimur district, would be produced in the special vigilance court after interrogation. He was appointed as constable and later promoted to SI. He was also expected to retire in next two-three years, a source said.