Sanitary inspector awarded 4-year jail in 2019 bribery case

A local court has sentenced Naresh Kumar, a sanitary inspector of the MOH wing of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, to undergo four years of rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case registered six years ago.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict. The vigilance department had registered an FIR on August 17, 2019, under Sections 7, 13 (1) (b) & (2) of PC Act, at Vigilance police station, Chandigarh, on the complaint of one Ajay.

The complainant, working as contractual employee with MOH, MC, Chandigarh, had said he remained posted in the Sector 29 area as sweeper under Sanitary Inspector Naresh Kumar. In August 2019, Ajay was transferred to the horticulture area. On August 16, 2019, he approached Naresh Kumar with a request to get him back in the Sector 29 area due to personal reasons. Naresh Kumar allegedly demanded Rs 2,500 to shift him back to the Sector 29 area.

The complainant stated that since he did not want to give Rs 2,500 as bribe to the sanitary inspector, he approached the Vigilance Department.

During investigation, a trap was laid on August 17, 2019, at ground area, Sector 29-A, and accused Naresh Kumar was apprehended with the bribe amount of Rs 2,500.

After completion of investigation, chargesheet was presented in the court. Counsel for the accused argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. However, Public Prosecutor Hukam Singh said the prosecution had proved the case beyond a shadow of doubt.