5 years of jail for Haryana govt officer caught taking bribe on final day of service | Gurgaon Information – The Instances of India

Gurgaon: A metropolis courtroom convicted a retired Haryana govt officer in a bribery case and sentenced him to 5 years rigorous imprisonment. Dalbir Singh, senior supervisor at Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Improvement Company (HSIIDC), was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 on the final day of his service to clear a contractor’s pending cost file in 2021.Extra classes choose Puneet Sehgal, whereas convicting Singh below Prevention of Corruption Act, mentioned bribery by public servants corrodes governance and erodes civic belief. “Culpability just isn’t mitigated just because the accused was on the finish of service tenure,” the courtroom mentioned.Public prosecutor Sumit Saini instructed the courtroom that complainant Ajit Kumar had executed contractual work for HSIIDC and was owed about Rs 4.25 lakh. The prosecution mentioned Bhatti demanded Rs 10,000 to ship the file for clearance on Sept 29, 2021, the day he retired.After a written grievance, the vigilance wing organised a lure, deployed a shadow witness, carried out pre-trap proceedings, famous serial numbers of the forex notes, and apprehended Bhatti instantly after he acquired the cash. The courtroom mentioned the restoration was documented by seizure memos and supported by constant testimonies of the complainant and the lure workforce.The case was registered on Sept 30, 2021, below Part 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act.The courtroom additionally famous that Bhatti didn’t lead any defence proof to rebut the prosecution case. He denied the allegations however provided no credible rationalization for the incriminating circumstances. The choose held that mere denial couldn’t displace a case supported by an unbroken chain of proof, together with proof of demand and acceptance, that are important elements of the offence.The prosecution argued that demanding a bribe on the verge of retirement confirmed deliberate misuse of official place and that the lure proceedings have been carried out in accordance with legislation. The defence counsel claimed that the complainant had causes to manufacture the allegations, however the courtroom discovered the assertions unsupported and inadequate in opposition to corroborated official testimony.The courtroom mentioned corruption by public servants can’t be condoned, no matter tenure or impending retirement. It held that the shadow witness account, restoration of marked forex, and the investigating officer’s testimony shaped a coherent narrative establishing Bhatti’s culpability.