Jammu, May 31, KNT: The Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court, Jammu, convicted all five accused in the 2005 case related to the procurement of substandard microscopes at inflated prices by the School Education Department.
The case, registered under FIR No. 10/2005 at the then Vigilance Organization Jammu (now ACB), pertained to the purchase of dissection microscopes that were not in accordance with the specifications outlined in the tender. The investigation revealed that the accused public officials, in connivance with the supplier, deliberately approved and bulk-purchased these unsuitable microscopes in blatant violation of norms, causing a substantial financial loss to the state exchequer and benefiting themselves and the supplier.
The convicted individuals include Jatinder Kumar, then Accounts Officer at the Directorate of School Education, Jammu; Rameshwar Kumar Sharma, then Lecturer in Geology at SRML Higher Secondary School; Balwan Singh, then Lecturer in Geology at SIE, Jammu; Balbir Singh Jamwal, then CEO Udhampur; and Jaswinder Singh Manocha, proprietor of M/s Cosmopolitan Traders, Jammu.
After reviewing the prosecution’s evidence, the court found them guilty under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, and Section 120-B RPC (criminal conspiracy). Each public servant was sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment under the corruption charges and one year under conspiracy charges, with both sentences to run concurrently.
Additionally, a fine of Rs. 25,000 each was imposed on the four public servants, while the supplier, Jaswinder Singh Manocha, was fined Rs. 1 lakh. In case of default in payment, the convicts will undergo an additional three months of simple imprisonment. [KNT]
