Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 28: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu, A K Koul today awarded one year imprisonment and fine of Rs 5000 to Girdhari Lal, the then Incharge SHO Akhnoor in bribe case.
The SHO was arrested after he demanded Rs 500 as illegal gratification for issuing direction for registration of FIR in a sodomy case that too on the intervention of court, which was approached by the complainant following inaction on the part of senior police officers.
After hearing CPO Harminder Singh along with Senior PO Ajay Gupta appearing for the State whereas Advocate AS Khera appearing for the accused, the court observed, “what is expected of a police officer who holds the charge of a police station need not to be restated. But the bare minimum which is expected of a police officer is to listen to the informant and reduce in writing the information so given if it relates to commission of a cognizable offence and enter the same in the register kept by such police officer in the police station”.
“The complainant in this case approached accused with an information that his son was subjected to sodomy but the accused did not mind to record the information and register the case until he was paid bribe on his demand”, the court said and asked how could the system tolerate such police officers, who demand money for doing what they are paid for by the Government.
“A public servant who so ever he may be is accountable to public and has to act in a manner which serves the cause of justice. If a public servant is reluctant to take action he is authorized by the law to take, on the complaint of an aggrieved person, he has no right to be on the pay roll of the Government”, the court said, adding “the act of the accused has not to be viewed from the angle of quantum of bribe he has received but from the seriousness of his culpable conduct”.
“Given the facts of this case, there is no scope for showing any leniency towards the accused notwithstanding the fact that he has only received Rs 500 as bribe. He deserves a commensurate punishment which is proportionate to the crime committed by him as a public servant”, the court said.
With these observations, court awarded one year imprisonment and fine of Rs 5000.
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