Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Passport office staff among seven get jail term

MADURAI: A Special Court here dealing with Central Bureau of Investigation cases sentenced to jail terms of two, three and five years two postal employees, three passport office staff and two passport agents belonging to Tiruchi respectively after they were found guilty of having processed 50 passport applications with fake ration cards.

According to the CBI, an investigation was conducted following complaints that some staff members had indulged in certain irregularities.In the process, two passport agents and two other postal staff were also found to have indulged in the offence.

Based on their confessions, the investigating officers found that the staff had fabricated ration cards and managed to get the passports for as many as 50 applicants.

Special Court judge Kartikeyan, who heard the case, sentenced the passport office staff — Rajaganesan, Janakiraman and Manimaran —- to undergo imprisonment for three years and pay a fine of Rs. 15,000 each. Two agents — Vythianathan and Adaikan — were directed to undergo five-year imprisonment and pay Rs. 35,000 as fine. Two postal staff —- Pappiah and Rajathirupathi — were sentenced to undergo imprisonment for two years and pay Rs. 8,000 each as fine, while two other passport staff, Durairaj and Gopalakrishnan, were acquitted.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu