Former Drug Inspector's Office Clerk Jailed for Taking Rs 6k Bribe to Issue Drug Licence
Bhubaneswar: In an anti-corruption verdict, a former junior clerk from the Office of the Drugs Inspector, Jajpur Road, has been sentenced to four years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for accepting a Rs 6,000 bribe in exchange for issuing a drug licence.
The Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar pronounced the judgment, convicting Sarat Kumar Rout, the accused clerk, under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
According to the Odisha Vigilance Department, Rout was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe from a complainant who had approached him for the issuance of a drug licence. Following his arrest, the Vigilance sleuths registered a case and later filed a charge sheet against him under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence confirming that the accused demanded and received ₹6,000 from the complainant in his official capacity to process the licence. After reviewing the testimony of witnesses and documentary proof, the Special Judge (Vigilance), Bhubaneswar, found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt and awarded a four-year term of rigorous imprisonment along with a monetary fine. Upon pronouncement of the verdict, Rout was taken into custody and sent to jail to begin his sentence.
The vigilance court further directed that in case of non-payment of the fine, the convict would undergo an additional period of imprisonment. Following the conviction, the Odisha Vigilance Department confirmed that it will initiate departmental proceedings to revoke his pension and other post-retirement benefits, citing serious misconduct and breach of public trust, reports Pragativadi.
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