A court in Punjab's Mohali town on Monday sentenced the Punjab Public Service Commission's (PPSC) disgraced former chairman Ravinder Pal Singh to seven years imprisonment in a corruption case.
It also slapped a fine of Rs 75 lakh on him.
Singh, a former journalist better known as Ravi Sidhu, was convicted for accepting bribes from aspirants who had applied for the posts of inspectors in the Excise and Taxation department in Punjab. The court acquitted five other people who were also accused in the case.
He had been booked by the Punjab Vigilance Department in March 2002 under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, after being accused Singh of rampant corruption in selection and appointment of candidates for various posts in Punjab. The selections were made through the PPSC, which Singh headed at that time.
Vigilance officials had conducted raids nearly 15 years ago at the residence, office and bank lockers of Singh. Cash in crores of rupees was found stacked in several of these lockers. He was arrested following the registration of a case against him.
Singh had remained as Special Correspondent with a leading English daily here before becoming the PPSC chairman.
The vigilance had accused him of sending lakhs of rupees to his family in US through hawala channels.
--IANS
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