In a warning to corrupt civil servants, a Delhi court has awarded four years imprisonment to a civic body official, convicted for taking bribe of Rs 8,000 for allowing unauthorised construction here, saying the "main object of sentence is deterrence".
Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Jain ordered custody of Shashi Bhanu, who was working as Junior Engineer with Delhi Development Authority (DDA), after holding him guilty under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"Sentence to a convict (Bhanu) should be proportionate and appropriate in response to the nature, gravity of offence and other circumstances....
"In the cases of corruption, the main object of sentence is deterrence and prevention of such crimes by way of deterrence. Reformation theory of punishment has comparatively lesser applicability in such cases," the court said, adding that Bhanu be "sent to jail to undergo the sentence".
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on Bhanu.
The court, however, acquitted accused R K Sharma, who was also working with DDA, as the allegations against him were not proved and there was "lack of sufficient, reliable and convincing evidence".
According to CBI, one K V I Krishnan had filed a complaint in January 2008, alleging that Bhanu and Sharma had demanded bribe of Rs 8000 from him for not issuing the demolition notice and also to settle the matter of unauthorised construction of his flat here.
CBI had said that Krishnan was allotted a DDA flat in 1995 under expandable housing scheme and no separate sanction was required for construction of extra floors.
However, both the accused had demanded money for allowing the complainant to continue with the construction of his house and threatened him that if he did not pay the bribe, then they would get demolition orders, it said.
They had denied the allegations during the trial and claimed that they had been falsely implicated.
