CBI court slaps over Rs one crore fine on a transporter

A special CBI court has convicted officials of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited and a transporter imposing a penalty of over one crore on him for causing a loss of over Rs two crore to the public sector enterprise by inflating transportation bills.
Anil Verma proprietor of city-based Verma Transport was sentenced to four year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1.05 crore for exorbitantly increasing the rates of handling and transportation contract awarded to his company from Rs 30 per metric tonne to Rs 140 per metric tonne on the pretext of union fee and charges, CBI spokesperson said here today.

The Special Judge in Dwarka court also convicted Bhima Raju Prasad -- the then Regional Manager of RINL, and A K Gupta -- the then Manager (Marketing), both posted in New Delhi and a Delhi-based private person Avinash Chander Chanana for entering into a criminal conspiracy for causing wrongful loss to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
RNIL is a corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The accused caused alleged loss of around Rs 2.01 crores to exchequer by entering in the criminal conspiracy.
"The court sentenced Prasad and Gupta to four year Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and a total fine of Rs 15 lakh, four year RI and a fine of Rs 1.05 crore to Anil Verma and four years RI and a fine of Rs 10 lakhs to Chanana," the spokesperson said.

The case was registered in January 2001 against the accused alleging that they had entered into a criminal conspiracy for causing wrongful loss to the tune of Rs 2.01 crores (approx) to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and corresponding gain for themselves and others, the official said.
"After thorough investigation, a charge sheet was filed on May 20, 2002 under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC read 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988," the spokesperson said.
"The Special Judge has found the accused persons guilty of the charge sheeted offences and convicted them," she said.