Panaji, Jan 9 (IANS): A Panaji court on Monday directed the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Goa Police to file an FIR against former Goa Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg and probe the graft allegations against him.

Additional District and Sessions judge Sherin Paul passed the order, following a plea by a local businessman Munnalal Halwai who in 2016 had accused then Goa IGP Garg of demanding a bribe from him.

After the police failed to file a First Information Report against their IGP, Halwai had then petitioned successive Chief Ministers Laxmikant Parsekar and Manohar Parrikar to probe his complaint, but to no avail.

He then approached the Lokayukta, who eventually ordered a probe into the allegations.

In August last year, Halwai in his complaint to the police alleged that Garg had demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 5.50 lakh for registration of an FIR in a cheating case at the Ponda police station in South Goa district.

Garg, during his tenure in Goa, had denied the allegations. The senior officer is attached to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram other Union Territories cadre (AGMUT) and is currently posted in Arunachal Pradesh.