Gurugram, April 29 (IANS) In a crackdown against corruption by a government employee, a court has sentenced a patwari (revenue official) to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case in 2023.
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Jagdeep Singh on Monday convicted the government employee Sanjay Kumar and also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000.
Sanjay, who was posted at the land acquisition office of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, had been caught red-handed accepting a Rs 8,000 bribe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in February 2023.
The patwari was accused of demanding a bribe to present a report regarding interest received by the complainant in lieu of the acquired land, an ACB official said.
The accused failed to produce any evidence in his support.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said over the past 10 years, a zero-tolerance policy against corruption was being implemented by the government in all departments across the state.
The CM also claimed that if any government employee is found indulging in any illegal activities, stringent action will be taken against them.
The ACB received a complaint on February 6, 2023, alleging that Sanjay was demanding bribes for submitting records related to payment in land acquisition before the court.
A case was registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act on the same day at the ACB Gurugram police station.
The ACB filed a charge sheet in March 2023 before the court.
After two years of trial, the court held Sanjay guilty and convicted him based on the ACB investigation and the statement of the complainant.
Meanwhile, in the previous month, another revenue officer, Naresh, was arrested by the police from the Sohna Tehsil office.
The police accused Naresh of tampering with the land documents and preparing fake documents.
The accused is still in jail, and the case is under investigation.
–IANS
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