Court orders jail for govt hospital officials for taking bribe

Special judge B R Kedia ordered jail for 59-year-old Subhash Babu, an upper division clerk (UDC) at the hospital, for demanding and accepting Rs 2,000 as bribe.

"Keeping in mind that the instant case demonstrates modalities of corruption being adopted even for getting release of dues after retirement of the colleague, I sentence accused to rigorous imprisonment of two and half years," the court said.

The prosecution case was that complainant Suraj Mal had retired as radiographer at the hospital in May 2001.

On April 11, 2007, he had approached Subhash, the dealing UDC, for release of balance amount of gratuity, difference of pay scale and for re-fixation of new pension.

Subhash had initially demanded Rs 5,500 from him for clearing his account, but had finally settled for Rs 2,000. Suraj then had lodged a complaint against him with the Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi government and Subhash was caught in a trap.

Observing that "social fabric is destroyed by corrupt practices in public service and demoralises bunch of honest officers in the concerned institution," the court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Subhash.

It, however, accepted his plea to suspend his sentence till September 29 and released him on bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and a surety of like amount.