2 yrs RI to Sr Auditor of Defence Account in corruption case

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 30: Special Judge Anticorruption CBI Cases, B L Bhat today awarded two years imprisonment and fine of Rs 10000 to Khem Singh, then Senior Auditor (LAO) CDA Satwari, who was caught red-handed by CBI team on March 9, 2007 while accepting bribe of Rs 1700 from the complainant to pass the bills.
According to the CBI case,  Khem Singh had demanded Rs 1700 from Surinder Sharma of Gandhi Nagar for already passed bills amounting to Rs 34312 as commission. However, Surinder Sharma filed a complaint with the CBI which laid a trap and caught red-handed the accused.
After hearing Special PP S K Bhat for CBI whereas Advocate KK Sharma for the accused, Special Judge Anticorruption CBI Cases observed,  “prosecution has succeeded in establishing demand of bribe by the accused initially and at the time of trap”.
With these observations, the court convicted the accused of offence under Sections 161 RPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. “Since the accused is not proved to be a previous convict and there are no aggravating factors warranting an exemplary punishment, the adequate sentence commensurate with the level of his guilt would be one year’s rigorous imprisonment on each count and a consolidated fine of Rs 10,000”, the Court said.