After 29 years' trial, ex-joint secy convicted in DA case

After a trial for 29 years, a special CBI court has convicted the then joint secretary in the Union Commerce Ministry for amassing assets of Rs 23.77 lakh disproportionate to known sources of his income.
CBI had registered the case against SK Bahadur nearly three decades ago in 1984 for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 46.24 lakh during 15 years of service between October 16, 1969, and December 4, 1984.
After the trial that ran for nearly 29 years and in which 55 witnesses were examined and 181 documents presented, Special Judge, Tis Hazari court, convicted Bahadur and sentenced him to one years' rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10 lakh and forfeiture of Rs 26.78 lakh recovered from the accused, CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here today.

"The assets included a house at Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad, a plot in Sector 27, NOIDA (both assets in the name of his wife) and moveable properties. After investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the court on June 27, 1986 under the Prevention of Corruption Act," Gaur said.
Meanwhile, in a separate case in Chennai, the then Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise and Customs, Balaji Rao, and his son Arthanarishwar Rao have been convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
While Rao has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of two years, his son will undergo one year's rigorous imprisonment. The total fine imposed amounts to Rs 75,000, Gaur said here in a statement.

"CBI had registered a case against M Balaji Rao, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, and his son on allegations that M Balaji Rao during the period January 1, 2002 to October 12, 2007 had acquired assets in his and in the name of his son, family members to the tune of Rs 26.54 lakh (approx) disproportionate to their known sources of income," the official said.