Date:20/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/20/stories/2007032015940400.htm

New Delhi

State employee gets RI in graft case

NEW DELHI: Noting that there is increasing number of corruption cases against public servants, a Delhi court on Monday sentenced a State Government employee to three-and-a-half year rigorous imprisonment (RI) for taking Rs 1,000 as bribe for delivery of a domicile certificate, four years ago.

Special Judge Sunil Gaur also imposed a fine of Rs.10,000 on Shiv Kumar (42), a peon, posted at Sub-Divisional Magistrates' (SDM) office in Patel Nagar here, after holding him guilty under certain provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

``The twin objects of punishment are to prevent a person who has committed the crime from repeating it and to prevent others from committing similar crimes. The sentence passed on the offender must at least achieve both these objectives,'' the Judge said in his order.

Acting on a tip-off, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) sleuths of the Delhi Police had apprehended Shiv Kumar on May 13, 2003, while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 1000 from one, Parminder Singh, for early delivery of a domicile certificate.

``To check corrupt practices against public servants, it is essential that the sentence imposed should have deterrent effect as otherwise, it would send a wrong message to the society ,'' the Judge said in his 49-page verdict.