A 64-year-old former official of Directorate General of Health Services has been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court for amassing assets of Rs 23.47 lakh, disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Jain handed down the jail term to Janak Raj, who was working as assistant drug controller with Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) at Nirman Bhawan here, after holding him guilty under various provisions of the Prevention of the Corruption Act.
While declining Janak's plea for leniency, the court said the convict does not deserve "unplaced sympathy" as corruption by a public servant is a serious crime.
"Keeping in view the incriminating and mitigating circumstances, nature and gravity of offence, the extent of disproportionate assets and the consequences of the offences committed by convict (Janak), in my opinion, convict does not deserve unplaced sympathy.
"Though, corruption in any form by anyone in any system is a serious offence but in a democratic society, corruption by a public servant is most serious which does not deserve any leniency," the court said, which also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on the convict.
The CBI had alleged that Janak, who had joined the DGHS as assistant chemist in 1970, acquired assets to the tune of Rs 40.95 lakh.
"His wife claimed to be a teacher with a school which was non-existent, while his two children were studying," the CBI had said.
