Chandigarh cop, advocate get 5-year RI in graft case

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, June 6

Corruption is rampant almost in all departments and is also gnawing at society like termites and is eating into the roots. It is a disease like cancer, which, if not detected in time, is sure to malignance the polity of our country leading to disastrous consequences.

While making the observation, Jagjit Singh, Special Judge, CBI court, has sentenced a Sub- Inspector of the Chandigarh Police, Naveen Sharma, and an advocate, Som Nath Aneja, to undergo five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a corruption case registered against them 10 years ago. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on both convicts.

The CBI had caught Som Nath Aneja red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh on behalf of Sub-Inspector Naveen Sharma, posted with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), from the complainant, Sukhbir Singh Shergil, on September 5, 2012.

As per the prosecution, Sharma, while posted in the EOW wing of the UT police, was probing an FIR registered at the Sector 3 police station, Chandigarh, against Sukhbir Singh Shergil and his wife.

The prosecution alleged that Sharma demanded Rs 10 lakh from Sukhbir Singh Shergil for helping him in the matter through Aneja. Shergil filed a complaint before the CBI on September 04, 2012.

In the complaint, Shergil told the CBI that, he met Naveen Sharma in connection with the case. He gave him a reference to Aneja for any help in the case. He met Aneja, who told that he would discuss the matter with Naveen Sharma. Shergil alleged that Aneja told him that he had to pay a handsome amount of bribe to settle the case.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught Aneja while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh on September 5, 2012 in Mani Majra. Naveen Sharma was also arrested a day later. The CBI filed a chargesheet against the accused in 2013 and charges were framed against them.

PK Dogra, Special Public Prosecutor, while arguing for the sentence, said despite being a police officer and an advocate-cum-banker, the convicts had indulged in a serious offence. Stringent punishment should be awarded to them, which could be an example for others so that people do not indulge in such offences. The counsel for the accused prayed for leniency.

After hearing the arguments, the court said the accused deserved no leniency and sentenced Naveen Sharma and Som Nath Aneja to undergo five years of rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each under Sections 13 (1) (d) punishable under Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, read with Section 120-B of the IPC. The court also sentenced both accused to undergo four years of RI under Sections 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, read with Section 120-B of the IPC and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each on both accused. Both sentences would run concurrently.