Guwahati: A local court handed down the harsh prison term of four years for graft to a top member of the Assam transport department.
The Court of Special Judge convicted Debeswar Talukder, senior assistant of the state transport department and sentenced them to three years of Rigorous Imprisonment and a fine of Rs 8000 in default, one-month Rigorous Imprisonment under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988- and 4-years Rigorous Imprisonment and fine of Rs 10,000 in default, Rigorous Imprisonment for two months under sections 13(2) of PC Act 1988.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam allegedly caught Talukdar while accepting bribes in 2015.
According to Rajib Saikia, CPRO of the Assam police, a complaint was received at the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, alleging that Debeswar Talukdar, Senior Assistant, who was responsible for issuing such certificates in the Office of the Commissioner of Transport, Khanapara, failed to provide the complainant with an assurance letter for the issuance of a road permit for a commercial passenger bus that was needed for bank loan purposes.
“Unwilling to pay the bribe the complainant approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for legal action. Accordingly, a case vide ACB P.S. case no – 15/2015 under sections 7/13(1)(d)/ 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, dated 7th December 2015 was registered. A trap was laid by a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in the O/O the Commissioner of Transport, Assam, Khanapara on 7.12.2015 and Sri Debeswar Talukdar, Senior Assistant, was caught red-handed with an accepted bribe of Rs 8,000 which was recovered from him in the presence of independent witnesses. The above case was chargesheeted, after investigation, by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption vide no-2/2018 dated April 27, 2018, under sections 7/13(1)(d)/13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988,” Rajib Saikia said.
The Assam police CPRO added that the charges were filed on September 18, 2018, and the Assam Court of Special Judge issued its ruling on August 16 of this year.