Panaji, Dec 7 (IANS): Claiming that it was difficult to solve corruption cases where both the giver and taker of bribes benefit, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday defended his decision to relieve an IPS officer, instead of prosecuting him for alleged corruption.

About the Goa government's decision to suddenly relieve Deputy Inspector General of Police Vimal Gupta from the state police force on Tuesday and repatriate him back to the Union Home Ministry for further orders, Parrikar said that there was a "question mark" over the officer's integrity.

"First of in all such types of (crimes) it is very difficult to establish the crime. Not so easy...

"There are three-four types of corruption. One corruption is both parties benefit, they do not come in the public. If you are harassed, you come out complaining. But if you also gain and the person who gets the benefit, money also gains, then there is no complaint," Parrikar told a press conference at the State Secretariat, a day after Gupta was relieved via a state personnel department order, which directed the officer to report to the MHA.

Woman Sub Inspector Devyani Ambekar and constable Chetan Moraskar were suspended last week for allegedly attempting to bribe Gupta in connection with a departmental enquiry the two were facing.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Goa Police is already investigating the bribery charge against Gupta, but Parrikar said that such cases take years to come to fruition, as a result of which he had taken the decision to relieve Gupta.

"What I can say is these type of cases are not very easy to prove. It will take a number of years, number of exercises, in such circumstances..." Parrikar said, adding that the officer had been relieved "because of his not so good activities".