Corrupt govt staff are like weeds, must be nipped early: Court

Corrupt govt staff are like weeds, must be nipped early: Court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  21.01.2021

Government servants who demand bribe are like weeds that need to be nipped early for the general public to have faith in the system, observed a special court in Chengalpet while sentencing a city traffic police inspector to three years imprisonment under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Iyappan, who was with the Valasaravakkam police station, had demanded bribe from the staff of a contractor hired by the city corporation after seizing his two-wheeler.

According to the prosecution, during the early hours of November 19, 2018, Thangadurai was overseeing stormwater drain work along Arcot Road when the inspector seized his two-wheeler stating they did not have police permission to carry out the work. Despite several attempts to meet the inspector at the station, he was unavailable, and a week later, when Thangadurai requested the two-wheeler, the inspector demanded ₹10,000 bribe. The contractor alerted DVAC (Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) officials and Iyappan was caught red-handed while taking ₹8,000 near a traffic signal along Arcot Road, the prosecution submitted. The prosecution submitted 17 witness statements.

In response, the counsel for the tainted police official submitted that the prosecution has not submitted enough evidence to prove the allegations against the inspector and contended that the complaint itself was fabricated due to previous enmity. The counsel further argued that the seized money was not sent for chemical analysis.

After perusing all submissions and documents, A K K Rajini, principal sub-judge, Chengalpet, said the arguments by the inspector’s counsel were far-fetched and stated that if the inspector did not have the intention to take a bribe, there was no reason for him to have seized the two-wheeler and kept it in custody for over a week. Based on the evidences submitted, the special court held Iyappan guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment with a fine of ₹10,000.