Former head clerk sentenced 4 years RI for accepting bribe in Odisha’s Sundargarh

Sundargarh: The Special Vigilance Court in Sundargarh today sentenced a former head clerk, then working in Balisankara tehsil office, to four years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for accepting a bribe.

According to an official source, the retired head clerk identified as Mohammed Sabir Hussain was earlier chargesheeted by Odisha Vigilance in the Sambalpur Division PS case (No-44, dtd.13.05.2015, U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d)/7, of the PC Act, 1988 for demanding and accepting the bribe from a complainant for processing a mutation case regarding the transfer of ownership of land and was subsequently convicted.

The Special Judge sentenced Hussain to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of four years along with a fine of Rs 2,000 and in default of payment of the fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for a period of two months more for the offence U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of the PC Act, 1988. The Court further sentenced him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of three years and payment of fine and in default of payment of the fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for a period of two months more for the offence U/s 7 PC Act, 1988. Both the sentences are to run concurrently.

The convict Hussain was sent to jail custody to serve his sentence later in the day.

“Odisha Vigilance will now move the competent authority for stoppage of pension of Hussain following his conviction,” a press release issued by the Odisha Vigilance in this regard mentioned.

Worth mentioning, the Vigilance case was previously initiated based on a written complaint lodged by Alam Surajit Tirkey of Ramapur village under Talasara police limits in the district in 2015. Hussain had accepted Rs 2,000 as bribe to prepare the mutation papers of the land purchased by Tirkey.