New Delhi, Dec 24 A special CBI court in Ahmedabad has awarded two years of rigorous imprisonment to a Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) official and an advocate in a bribery case, bringing to a close a prosecution that dates back more than 16 years.
According to the CBI, the court on December 23 convicted Anil Kumar Sharma, who was then serving as a Recovery Inspector at the Debt Recovery Tribunal on Ashram Road, Ahmedabad, and Amit Kotak, an advocate practising at the same tribunal.
Both were sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment and fined a total of Rs 1.5 lakh for their role in demanding and accepting illegal gratification.
The case was registered by the CBI on January 15, 2009, following a complaint alleging that Sharma and Kotak had demanded a bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh from the complainant.
The demand was made to facilitate the settlement of an auction dispute involving three properties and to defer the execution of an already auctioned property belonging to the complainant's cousin.
Investigators said the accused initially demanded Rs 1 lakh as the first instalment, with the remaining Rs 2.5 lakh to be paid later.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught advocate Amit Kotak red-handed while accepting Rs 1 lakh from the complainant. Sharma and Kotak were arrested on January 16, 2009. Subsequent searches were conducted at their residences and offices as part of the investigation.
After completing the probe, the CBI filed a chargesheet against both accused on November 26, 2009. The prosecution examined witnesses and placed documentary and material evidence before the court to substantiate the allegations of conspiracy and demand for a bribe.
After the conclusion of the trial, the court found both accused guilty and sentenced them accordingly.
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