Assam Transport Dept Employee Gets 4 Year Jail On Graft Charges

A senior employee of Assam transport department was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by a local court on graft charges.

The Court of Special Judge convicted Debeswar Talukder, senior assistant of the state transport department and sentenced them to three years of Rigorous Imprisonment and a fine of Rs 8000 in default, one-month Rigorous Imprisonment under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and 4 years Rigorous Imprisonment and fine of Rs 10,000 in default, Rigorous Imprisonment for two months under sections 13(2) of PC Act 1988.

According to reports, Talukdar was caught red-handed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam in 2015 while taking bribes.

Rajib Saikia, CPRO of Assam police said that a complaint was received at the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam to the effect that while the Complainant had approached the Office of Commissioner of Transport, Khanapara to collect an Assurance Letter for issuance of a road permit for a commercial passenger bus, required for bank loan purpose, Debeswar Talukdar, Senior Assistant, who was entrusted with the issuance of such certificates in the Office of the Commissioner of Transport, Assam, Khanapara, demanded a bribe of Rs 38,000 from the complainant for issuing the Assurance Letter.

"Unwilling to pay the bribe the complainant approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for legal action. Accordingly, a case vide ACB P.S. case no - 15/2015 under sections 7/13(1)(d)/ 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, dated 7th December 2015 was registered. A trap was laid by a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in the O/O the Commissioner of Transport, Assam, Khanapara on 7.12.2015 and Sri Debeswar Talukdar, Senior Assistant, was caught red-handed with an accepted bribe of Rs 8,000 which was recovered from him in the presence of independent witnesses. The above case was chargesheeted, after investigation, by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption vide no-2/2018 dated April 27, 2018, under sections 7/13(1)(d)/13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988," Rajib Saikia said.

Further, the Assam police CPRO said that the charges were framed on September 18, 2018 and judgment was delivered on August 16 this year by the Court of Special Judge, Assam.