Express News Service : Pune, Tue Sep 03 2013, 01:58 hrs
A special CBI court on Monday sentenced a former defence estate officer (DEO), Pune Circle, to two-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) for accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a retired chartered account who wanted his son’s name entered on government land records in 2009.
Special judge (CBI) Sudhakar Yarlagadda also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Nadikattu Srinivasa Reddy (51), a resident of Pune Camp.
The case was investigated by CBI inspectors N M Parab and Alok Sinha. Special Public Prosecutors Vivek Saxena and Ayyub Pathan examined 10 witnesses to prove the charges against the accused. Retired chartered accountant Shapoor Homi Irani, a resident of Kondhwa Road, had lodged a complaint.
As per Irani’s complaint, Reddy had demanded Rs 5 lakh to enter his son’s name with respect to their two bungalows on Castellino Road in the Camp area.
Following his mother’s death, Irani had filed an application in February 2009 seeking mutation entry of the bungalows in favor of his son Bahram. However, the process was delayed and Irani met Reddy who asked for bribe on October 6, 2009. Irani lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), CBI, Pune. A verification of the bribe demand made by Reddy before witnesses revealed he had asked Irani to pay Rs 3 lakh as the first installment and Rs 2 lakh later. The conversation was also recorded for evidence.
CBI officials, who had laid a trap near Reddy’s office-cum-residence on Rajendra Sinhji Road, caught him receiving bribe red-handed from Irani.
A case was registered against Reddy under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. A search at his residence had led to the recovery of about Rs 3.67 lakh in cash, documents of immovable properties owned by him and wife, a locker key, gold and silver ornaments worth over Rs 10 lakh and investment certificates of over Rs 4 lakh.
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