A Delhi court has sentenced three men, including two passport officials, to two years in jail for conspiring and issuing forged additional passports.
The court, however, acquitted six persons including a superintendent of Regional Passport Office (RPO) in the case.
The court held Harbhajan Yadav and Ram Chander, who were working as clerks at RPO, Delhi, and private person Anil Dhawan guilty under the provisions of the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Passport Act.
"In view of findings, I hold accused Harbhajan Yadav, Ram Chander and Anil Dhawan guilty of offences punishable under various sections of IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and Passport Act, 1967. They are convicted accordingly," special CBI judge RP Pandey said.
The court granted bail to the three convicts for a month on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and a surety of like amount.
It also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Yadav and Chander and Rs 14,000 on Dhawan.
CBI had registered an FIR against 10 people in the case in 2005 and a charge sheet was filed in 2008.
According to CBI charge sheet, the passport officials at RPO, Delhi had conspired with private persons to issue various forged passports in the form of additional passport booklets.
Several passports were issued by them in which each passport was having a different photograph and signature but the personal details were similar in all of them i.E. Of a woman named Reena, resident of Dilshad Garden here.
CBI, however, was unable to establish the real identity of the persons whose photographs were affixed on passport application forms submitted in the name of Reena.
It told the court that none of the passports issued in the form of additional passport booklets were used for visiting any country.
