Mohali ex-DSP Raka Ghira gets six-year rigorous imprisonment in bribery case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 7

A CBI court has sentenced former DSP Raka Ghira to undergo six years of rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case registered 13 years ago against her. The court also imposed a fine of two lakh on the convict.

The CBI team arrested her from her house in Chandigarh while she was allegedly taking Rs 1 lakh bribe from a realtor, KK Malhotra.

At the time of her arrest, Ghira was posted in Mohali. Malhotra in a complaint filed before the CBI said the Punjab Police had registered five cases against him on the complaints of land owners from whom he purchased property in Mullanpur.

He alleged Ghira had demanded Rs 2 lakh for settling the cases and for not registering more cases against him. The court had convicted her for the offences punishable under Sections 7, 13(1), (D), read with 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, on Monday.

During the arguments on the quantum of sentence, the counsel of the accused argued for leniency citing her age.

Narender Singh, public prosecutor, argued for exemplary punishment due to the seriousness of the crime.

He said the convict despite being part of the criminal justice system did not do justice with people and instead indulged in corrupt practice.

While rejecting her plea, Jagjit Singh, Special Judge, CBI, said, “The corruption has seeped so much into the roots of the society that people have started forming a notion that for any work they have to bribe some official. Slowly, an opinion is being formed that even for lawful work, a person or official has to be bribed. As a result of this, people like the convict have started taking benefit of this notion.”

The court further said this nexus between the convict and such persons, who are hand in glove with each other, needs to be broken to bring back the faith of people in the society. Despite the age, character, antecedents and family circumstances, stated by the convict, she does not deserve the leniency, as prayed for. The convict, rather, deserves a punishment which would act as a deterrent to the other persons in the society, so that they would think twice before committing such an offence.

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