A Delhi court today awarded two years rigorous imprisonment to a central excise department official, arrested by CBI for accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 to release the bank guarantee of a firm.
Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Jain also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on V K Sirohi, who was an inspector of the Central Excise Department, and was convicted for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court, however, granted him bail for one month on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one surety of the like amount after he filed an application for suspension of the sentence to enable him to file an appeal against the verdict.
While holding the accused guilty of the offence, the court had said that he was unable to prove his defence even on the "touchstone of preponderance of probability" and it was found to be totally false.
The court had also observed that it was established beyond reasonable doubt that the inspector had demanded and accepted illegal gratification from the complainant for the release of the bank guarantee.
According to CBI, when the complainant company, which was dealing in exports, had approached the inspector for release of Rs one lakh bank guarantee it had deposited with the department, he had demanded a bribe of Rs 8,000.
On the complaint of the company, a trap was laid by the CBI and the inspector was arrested.
