Punjab: Former superintending engineer gets 4 years in jail in corruption case

Tribune News Service

Ramkrishan Upadhyay   

Chandigarh, November 14  

“Corruption in a civilised society is a disease like cancer, which, if not detected in time, is sure to malignance the polity of our country leading to disastrous consequences. Today, uncontrolled corruption has spread like contagious disease. Corruption has been eating into the vitals of Indian democracy for decades now,” while making these observations, Jagjit Singh, special judge, CBI Court, sentenced former Punjab superintending engineer (SE), department of water supply and sanitation, NK Dhir, to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case registered against him nine years ago. 

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 on the convict.  

Dhir was arrested on August 6, 2013, by a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a contractor at the department office in Sector 34 Chandigarh. 

The contractor had approached the CBI alleging that the officer was demanding bribe for clearing his pending bills of various works he carried out for the department. 

He alleged that Dhir was asking for Rs 1.3 lakh to clear his bills of Rs 30 lakh pending with the department for supply of sanitary equipment. The accused allegedly told the complainant that he will approve the inspection report pertaining to the material (PVC pipes) only after getting the bribe. The accused later reduced the bribe amount to Rs 50,000. 

After investigation, the CBI team conducted a raid and arrested the accused red-handed as he was taking the first installment of Rs 30,000 from the complainant. The CBI had filed challan against the accused in the court.  

After finding prima facie case, the court framed the charges against the accused for the offences punishable under Section 8 and 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. 

PK Dogra, special public prosecutor of the CBI demanded exemplary punishment for the convict. Dogra said that the convict remained posted as a senior officer and was supposed to maintain integrity. He bypassed all the system and was demanding bribe for extending favour to the contractor, and this would result in poor work being done.

However, the counsel of the accused sought leniency due to his poor health. After hearing of the arguments, the court said the convict does not deserve the leniency as prayed for by him. The court said the corrupt have turned and twisted the system to suit them and have thrived. Many have prospered. The corruption is a social evil, which has eroded the applicability of just and fairness in society. Corruption among public servants has always existed in one form or the other although its shape, dimensions, textures and shades have been changing from time to time and place to place. At one time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe is paid for getting right things done at the right time. 

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