Sent to District Jail Jammu
*Revenue Deptt needs to annihilate corruption in all forms
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 19: After four months’ of convicting a Patwari in trap case, the Special Judge Anti-corruption Jammu Tahir Khurshid Raina today convicted and sentenced a Girdawar Mohd Ashraf in a trap case and awarded 2 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000. Consequently, the accused was taken into custody and sent to District Jail Jammu, for undergoing sentence.
The Special Judge Anti-corruption Jammu Tahir Khurshid Raina after hearing Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Irshad Ahmed Sheikh for the ACB and Senior Advocate Vikram Sharma with Advocates KS Charak and Goutam for the accused person, observed that in the last judgment of this court, delivered just four months back, the Patwari was convicted and sentenced. The Court observed that this second consecutive conviction of the Revenue official (Girdawar) speaks volume about the working of the Revenue Department at the ground level.
The Court further observed that unfortunately, these criminal acts, alleged to be committed by the Revenue officials do not remain restricted to crimes under the PC Act, but source of continuous conflict, chaos and crime in other forms as well in the society which at times turn into a high gravity criminal case, resulting into irreparable men and material loss.
“Though, this court reiterates its concern on the burgeoning corruption as put in its earlier judgment. But, through this order this court conveys its specific concern to the people at helm of affairs in the Revenue Department of the Government to act with a mission and commitment to annihilate corruption in its all forms and facets, especially at the grossroots level where people at large, one way or the other, get exposed to the lowest hierarchy of the Revenue Department,” the Court noted.
With these observations, the Court ordered that accused is awarded one year simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 for commission of offence under Section 4-A of PC Act, Svt. 2006 and one year simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 for commission of offence under Section 5(2) of the Act. The Court further ordered that both the sentences run concurrently and in case of non-payment of fine, the convict shall further undergo simple imprisonment for a period of three months.
The Court further directed that the copy of the judgments be sent to Commissioner/Secretary Revenue Department J&K, for taking note of two consecutive convictions of Revenue Officials to see as to where the fault lies in the Department on account of corruption.
The case pertains to demand of Rs 5000 as bribe money by the Girdawar from the complainant for attestation of mutation/copy following which on 20-04-2016, the complainant approached the SSP VOJ (now ACB, Jammu) with a written complaint. After preliminary investigation, ACB Jammu registered an FIR against the accused and a trap against the Girdawar was laid by an ACB team headed by HL Pandita (Deputy SP, ACB Jammu). The entire investigation in the case was done by Kamal Sangra, Inspector ACB Jammu.
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