Chandigarh Housing Board official convicted in 7-year-old corruption case

Tribune News Service

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, December 15

Jaibir Singh, Additional Sessions Judge, Chandigarh, held Rajesh Kumar (53), working as a senior assistant in the Accounts Branch of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), Sector 9, here, guilty in a corruption case registered by the UT Vigilance Department seven years ago.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence tomorrow. The Vigilance Department has registered the case against the accused for commission of offences punishable under Sections 7, 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, on the complaint of Bikram Jit Singh, a resident of Phase 11, Mohali.

The complainant told the Vigilance that Rajesh Kumar was demanding Rs 9,000 as bribe in lieu of favouring in exempting interest on the pending installments against a flat allotted to his cousin Amrinder Singh in Sector 63, Chandigarh. He alleged that the accused had already accepted Rs 2,000 from the complainant on June 24, 2015 and he was compelling him for the remaining amount.

A trap team was constituted and the accused was apprehended while demanding and accepting a bribe amount of Rs 7,000 from the complainant.

After the completion of investigation, a final report under Section 173 of the CrPC was prepared and presented in the court against the accused.

On finding prima facie case against the accused, he was chargesheeted for the commission of offence punishable under Sections 7, 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 vide order dated May 1, 2019. In order to prove its case, the prosecution examined as many as 21 witnesses and produced documents.

The counsel for the accused argued that he accused was falsely implicated in the case. Public prosecutor Hukam Singh said the prosecution had proved the case beyond the shadow of doubt.

After hearing arguments, the court said: “As the case of the prosecution is proved to the hilt and the version of the defence is not acceptable to the court accordingly, the accused is held guilty for the commission of offences punishable under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and is accordingly convicted there under”.

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Chandigarh Housing Board CHB