Former SDM reader gets 3 years in jail

A Lower court on Saturday sentenced a former reader with the SDM office of the Chandigarh Administration to there years rigorous imprisonment for taking a bribe of Rs 1,000. Naresh Gupta was caught by the UT Vigilance department while taking the bribe on February 28,2006. He has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 8,000.

The junior assistant was caught while was taking Rs 1,000 from Amarjeet Singh,who was earlier arrested while creating nuisance at a public place. The complainant was booked for preventive action under Sections 101 and 151 of the CrPC. While being produced before the then SDM (South) Vinay Singh,the reader refused to acknowledge the guarantors brought by Amarjeet for being released. Instead,the reader produced his two guarantors subject to a payment of a bribe of Rs 2,500 for each of the guarantors.

When Amarjeet went to the police station to get his valuables released,the reader demanded another Rs 1,000 for getting the release order of the SDM. Without the release order,Amarjeet could not get his valuables released from the police station.

When Vigilance officers conducted a raid,it was revealed that the release order had already been signed by the SDM. Naresh was then arrested and subsequently dismissed from his service by the Chandigarh Administration in 2007.