Assets case: Retd Brigadier gets 2 yrs’ jail

The court also observed that the ITRs were filed to show inflated income.

A Delhi court has sentenced retired Brigadier Samir Baron Ray to two years’ rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case.

The Brigadier was convicted for possessing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 68 lakh.

The court convicted Ray under Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 13(2) of the PCA. The officer was Deputy Director-General, Ordinance Services, at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence when the case was registered in 2008.

The prosecution alleged Ray had amassed huge assets in his name as well as in the names of members of his family during the period 1.4.2000 to 31.8.2008 to the tune of Rs 28,95,827. His wife was also tried for the offence of abetment and aiding Ray in acquisition of disproportionate assets. However, the court acquitted her of the charges.

Ray argued before the court that the CBI had not shown his income correctly. In respect of this, he had relied upon the Income-Tax Returns (ITRs) filed by him – but after the registration of the case. But the court said Ray could not establish the capital gains in the ITRs filed by him.

The court also observed that the ITRs were filed to show inflated income.

Ray joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, in 1973. After completion of training, he was allotted Ordinance Corps. In October 2005, Ray was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and was posted in DDOS, 15 Corps, Srinagar. He was subsequently transferred as DDG (Technical Functioning & Budgetary Control) New Delhi, from where he superannuated on 31.8.2008.

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The defence counsel argued before the court for leniency on the ground that the officer for 33 years had an “unblemished” record and that he was judged “outstanding” in most of his annual confidential reports.

However, the prosecutor argued that a “message” should go to society and that a senior officer in the army should be a role model to society.

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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