Date:08/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/08/stories/2007050812670500.htm

Other States - Rajasthan

15-day jail for Rajasthan official

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court on Monday sentenced a senior IAS officer to a civil imprisonment of 15 days and also imposed a cash penalty of Rs 10,000 on him.

A Bench of Justice Prakash Tatia while deciding a contempt petition held the Secretary of the Medical and Health Department Sudhir Bhargava guilty of intentional defiance of the court's order and also for trying to mislead it.

In case of non-payment of the fine, Mr. Bhargava shall be liable for civil imprisonment of an additional 15 days.

The court has stayed the operation of the order for 30 days so that the official can avail legal remedy.

The court also imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 upon another IAS officer of the State- G.S. Sandhu- the then Secretary of the Medical and Health Department but pardoned him because he had no opportunity to correct his mistake.

The case related to a registered society, Rajasthan Vikas Sansthan, which wanted to start B. Sc Nursing College here.

The then Health Minister, without disclosing his identity, visited the office of the society and allegedly misbehaved with the staff. The minister forcibly proceeded to open the chamber of the Director and searched it on September 4, 2002.

After this, the institute lodged a criminal complaint in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jodhpur, and it was sent to the police station concerned for investigation.