Rajasthan: Retired Govt doctor gets 3-year jail in bribery case

Since the jail term is less than four years, the convicts were given chance on bail to appeal against the decision in an upper court within a month.

The ACB court sentenced the 62-year old the then doctor on duty in Kota Central Jail, and his private assistant Jugraj (36) to three years in jail for receiving a woman's wrist watch and a jerkin as bribe at his clinic in June 2009, Assistant Director Prosecution (ADP), ACB Court, Kota, Ashok Joshi said.

The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each, he added.

A city resident on June 1, 2009 lodged a complaint with the ACB and alleged that the doctor demanded bribe of a woman's wrist watch and a jerkin for the recommendation of medical care in hospital to his brother Radheyshyam Bhumliya, who was lodged in the jail under judicial custody in a murder case, he said.

Acting on the complaint, the ACB arrested the doctor accepting through his assistant Jugraj the wrist watch and a jerkin at his clinic the next day on June 2, 2009, Joshi further said.

Terming the acceptance of bribe by an on-duty government employee "a serious crime", ACB Court judge Pramod Kumar Malik on Friday held the doctor, since retired, and his personal assistant Jugraj guilty and convicted the duo to three years in jail, Joshi said.

It is a serious matter that cases of gross negligence and non-compliance of duty by officials in jail towards the inmates is rising and measures need to be taken to check such corrupt practices, the court observed.