RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, April 5: After 12 years of trial, Special Judge (ACB) Prakash Jha today convicted and sentenced three government officials for accepting bribes in lieu of the execution of a land restoration order from the court in favour of two poor tribal brothers, Sadhu Oraon and Budhuwa Oraon.
The convicts include the settlement officer of Bero Block Baleshwar Baraik, clerk Mithilesh Kumar and chain carrier Maqsood Alam. The Court sentenced Baraik to four years of rigorous imprisonment. For Kumar and Alam the court fixed the duration of imprisonment remaining 2 years and 1.5 years respectively.
Apart from imprisonment, the court also imposed fines on the convicts. The amount of fine imposed on Bariak, Kumar and Alam is Rs 1.2 lakh, Rs 40,000 and Rs 6,000 respectively.
Special public prosecutor (PP) A.K.Gupta informed this saying the order came after the court examined as many as 13 prosecution and 2 defence witnesses during the trial.
Sharing background of the case, special PP Gupta said: “Nathu Oraon had encroached 30 acres of land of poor Sadhu and Budhuwa. The matter reached the court. The Court ordered in favour of Sadhu and Budhuwa. After the court order, when they knocked on the door of the circle office at Bero, an amount of Rs 6 lakh as a bribe was raised for the work. Getting aggrieved by the demand, Sadhu informed the Anti -Corruption Bureau. Under a plan, negotiation started. The deal was finalised for Rs 50,000. The amount included Rs 40,000 for Baraik, Rs 9,000 for the clerk and Rs 1,000 for the chain carrier. As the amount was being accepted, the ACB caught them red-handed.”
Special PP Gupta said that the FIR was registered in the matter on November 4, 2010
