Two Indian Airlines officials held guilty of cheating, jailed

Two officials of then Indian Airlines were convicted for cheating the airline by making bogus bills under contributory family medical scheme (CFMS) and causing loss to the company, a lawyer said Saturday.

Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge Brijesh Kumar Garg has sentenced Ashok Kumar Sehgal, who was working as a senior accounts assistant here, to four years in jail while N. Bhattacharjee, a former assistant manager, engineering was sentenced to one year in jail in the case dating to 1989-90.

The two were convicted for hatching a conspiracy to cheat Indian Airlines and criminal misconduct.

According to CBI, both the accused dishonestly and fraudulently received a sum of Rs.4,015 towards bogus CFMS claim from the airlines during 1989-90 by abusing their position.

The court said that allegations proved against the convicts are quite serious in nature. It however took a lenient view towards Bhattacharjee, 75, as he is suffering from various age-related diseases and is facing trial for the last 22 years but imposed a fine of Rs.15,000.

It slapped a fine of Rs.25,000 on Sehgal, 57, saying that he is the kingpin and master mind of the entire conspiracy.

Public prosecutor Praneet Sharma had sought that the court take a strict view of the matter and grant exemplary punishment to the convicts.