Ex-GST officer ordered to return Rs 1.24 crore in corruption case, jailed and fined Rs 1 lakh along with wife
Oct 25, 2024
Synopsis
A special CBI court has convicted a retired GST superintendent and his wife for amassing unaccounted assets worth Rs 1.24 crore, disproportionate to their income. The court sentenced Prasiddh Dubey to four years in prison and his wife Vimla to two years. The case spanned from 1994 to 2018, with ill-gotten assets now forfeited to the state.
A special CBI court has convicted a retired superintendent of the Goods and Services Tax Department and his wife for accumulating unaccounted assets worth Rs 1.24 crore, which were disproportionate to the officer’s known sources of income.
The case spans the period from 1994 to 2018.
Prasiddh Dubey, 66, received a sentence of four years in prison, while his wife, Vimla Dubey, was sentenced to two years for her role in aiding and abetting him.
In a comprehensive 138-page judgment, Special Judge S H Gwalani described the offense as grave, highlighting the abuse of official position for personal gain.
"Accused No 2 (Vimla), being the wife of accused No 1 (Prasiddh), is privy to all transactions and had an opportunity to shield the ill-gotten assets,"said Judge Gwalani.
The court found that Prasiddh had used his wife's name to disguise the assets he had amassed through corrupt practices.
The judge pointed out that the ill-gotten assets of Rs 1.24 crore would be forfeited to the state government and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of the accused.
In delivering the sentence, the judge emphasized that factors such as the couple’s age and the lengthy trial should not mitigate the severity of their actions.
“Legal principles and legislative intent behind the Prevention of Corruption Act must be upheld,” the judge said.
Following a plea from Vimla, the court suspended her sentence on the condition that she pays the fine.
Special public prosecutor Vimal Soni presented evidence from seven witnesses, along with documentary proof, to support the prosecution’s case.
The investigation was initiated by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch in 2018.
During the proceedings, Prasiddh claimed that he had received an award for "Excellent Service" during his tenure and argued that his family's income had not been considered adequately.
Vimla defended herself by stating that she had independent sources of income from a garment business, rental properties, and agriculture. However, the judge noted that Vimla’s income tax records did not support her claims of sufficient income.
“Only two properties purchased by accused No 1 during the check period were intimated by him to his department,” said the judge.
(With inputs from TOI)
[The Economic Times]
