HAL director, aide get four years in jail in bribery case

A court here sentenced the finance director at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bangalore, Krishan Zutshi and his aide, N P Manikandan, to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case, filed by the investigative agency.

According to a CBI release, the agency's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in Chennai registered a case based on a complaint by C Gowri Shankar, junior technical officer, CBI, Zonal Office, Chennai, on February 25, 2004, that he was offered a bribe by N P Manikandan, general manager of PCS Industries Ltd, Bangalore, for giving a favourable report on Zutshi, against whom a disproportionate case was under investigation, and in which the complainant, Gowri Shankar, was rendering technical assistance.

After registration of the case, a trap was laid by the ACB when Zutshi and his son Naveen discussed with the complainant about the report to be given by the complainant in a star hotel in Chennai. Zutshi's mediator Manikandan was caught red-handed while handing over Rs 50,000 and a Nokia mobile phone, said in the release.

After completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed before Special Judge Court for CBI Cases, Chennai, against the accused persons under sections 120-B IPC r/w section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and substantive offences under section 12 PC Act r/w 34 IPC.

A fine of Rs 50,000 each has also been imposed on Zutshi and Manikandan.

However, Naveen Zutshi has been acquitted.