In a topsy-turvy change of fate, a policeman in Telangana is perhaps living one of his scariest nightmares. From being awarded the 'best constable' on Independence Day to being caught red-handed taking a bribe of Rs 17,000 a day later, this cop seems to have seen it all-the heights of pride and glory to the depths of shame and humiliation.

On August 15, to recognise his 'dedication and hard work', the Telangana government awarded Constable Palle Thirupathi Reddy with the 'best constable' award. The award and a citation were given to him by none less than state minister Srinivas Goud in presence of the district Superintendent of Police (SP) Rema Rajeshwari.

But a day later, Constable Reddy landed in the net of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) as he was caught harassing a man and taking a bribe of Rs 17,000.

At the time of accepting the bribe, Constable Reddy was posted at I-Town police station in Mahbubnagar district of Telangana.

It is alleged that he had been harassing a man, M Ramesh, for over a year and had been demanding bribe by threatening to confiscate his tractor.

Fed up with this, Ramesh approached the ACB and lodged a complaint against Constable Reddy. With the help of the ACB, the cop was caught red-handed on Friday at 5 pm.

According to local media reports, the cop was allegedly threatening the man to implicate him in a false case if he failed to pay him the bribe.

The reports say the ACB recovered the bribe amount from the "back pocket" of Constable Reddy's trousers. He was later arrested and produced before a special court.

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