Graft case: Trichy court sentences former govt employee to rigorous imprisonment charge

TRICHY: A court in Trichy on Friday sentenced a former assistant in the office of the regional joint directorate of collegiate education to three years’ rigorous imprisonment for demanding and accepting a bribe from an assistant professor for clearing his salary arrears.
Judge R Karthikeyan of special court for the Prevention of Corruption Act on Friday convicted D Venugopal, 63, for demanding and accepting 2,000 from assistant professor Sakthivel of A Veraiya Vandaiyar Memorial Sri Pushpam College, Poondi, in 2012.
The judge awarded three years RI to him for official misconduct and one year RI for taking gratification other than legal remuneration under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. He can serve the terms concurrently.
The court imposed a fine of 10,000 each on two counts. The judge directed Venugopal to undergo six months of simple imprisonment in case of not paying the fine.
G Manikandan, the DSP of Trichy detachment of the DVAC, said Sakthivel had approached the regional joint directorate office in Trichy to get his salary arrears. Venugopal had demanded the bribe and was nabbed red-handed while accepting money on January 19, 2012.