ID :
215870
Sat, 11/19/2011 - 14:37
Auther :

Former Indian minister Sukhram sentenced to jail in a corruption case

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) A former Indian telecom minister, Sukhram was today awarded five years imprisonment by a Delhi court after being convicted of taking Rupees 300,000 (about USD 6,000) as bribe for giving a contract to a private firm in 1996. A special judge of the Central Bureau of Investigation, R P Pandey also imposed a fine of Rs 400,000 (about USD 8,000) on 86-year-old Sukhram, who held the telecom portfolio in the government of prime minister P V Narasimha Rao. Sukhram was taken into custody after the verdict and sent to jail as the punishment exceeded a three-year jail term barring convicts from seeking grant of a statutory bail. Sukhram had been held guilty yesterday under various provisions of India's Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) with verdict on punishment posted for today after hearing the parties. Various offences under which Sukhram has been convicted entailed a maximum sentence of 7 years jail term. Sukhram was held guilty for misusing his official position during his tenure as Telecom Minister in awarding a contract worth Rs 300 million (about USD 6.0 million) to a private firm for supply of cable to the department. PTI

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