IT official among 10 get two years RI

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu CBI Cases, Vinod Chatterji Koul today awarded two years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 50,000 to 10 persons including official of Income Tax Department, who were facing trial under different Sections of RPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
The convicts are Sudershan Kumar, son of Dhanpat, Lower Division Clerk in CIT Jammu, Kishore Sharma, son of Diwan Chand, R S Mehta, son of Roop Singh, Sohan Singh, son of Ranjit Singh, Rajesh Kumar Sharma, son of Sansar Chand Sharma, Tilak Raj Sharma, son of Onkar Chand Sharma, Raj Kumar Dogra, son of Sanjhi Ram Dogra, Amit Pal Singh, son of Suraj Pal Singh, Shekhar Dhar, son of M K Dhar and Tulsi Thakur, son of Shiv Lal Thakur.
According to the CBI case, on the basis of reliable information a case was registered on 23.6.2003 and during the course of investigation it came to fore that accused persons in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched together during the year 2002-03 misappropriated the refund amount which was due to various Income Tax assesses by opening fictitious bank accounts on the basis of forged documents.
The officials of the IT Department by abusing their official positions handed over undelivered Income Tax refund orders and cheques to other accused who got opened fictitious bank accounts in the names of Income Tax assesses in various banks and got the amount of such Income Tax refund orders/cheques en-cashed. The amounts so en-cashed was Rs 1,57,988.
After hearing battery of lawyers for the accused, Special Judge CBI cases observed, “the prosecution has succeeded in establishing charges framed against the accused persons as such they are convicted”, adding “keeping in view the trial of 11 years as well as the age of the accused and their health condition, the adequate sentence commensurate with the level of their guilt would be two year rigorous imprisonment on each count and a consolidated fine of Rs 50,000 each”.
In default of payment of fine they will have to undergo further rigorous imprisonment of two months.