Namakkal: In yet another stringent penalty for corruption, a 70- year- old retired village administrative officer has been slapped with 10 years’ imprisonment for taking Rs 1,000 as bribe. Retired village administrative officer Balaganapathy has also been fined '50,000 for indulging in corruption.
He is the second retired government officer within two months to be awarded imprisonment for 10 years by the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Namakkal.
According to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption police, Balagananapathy was serving in Mavureddipatty near Namakkal in 1997. A local farmer, Palanivel, approached Balaganapathy for getting a patta and chitta for his land. But Balaganapathy asked the farmer to pay Rs 1,000 as bribe for giving the patta.
On December 17, 1997, the officer stoutly refused to give the patta unless Palanivel paid the bribe. The anguished farmer lodged a complaint with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption police.
A trap was laid and when the farmer gave the bribe to the officer, the cops lying in wait, caught him red-handed. A chargesheet was filed in the Namakkal court in 1998. But the case dragged on and Balaganapathy retired from service. About 17 years after the incident, the retired officer has been awarded a stern punishment.
The Namakkal Magistrate S. Malarmathi awarded five years’ jail term for anti-social activities and another five years’ term for receiving bribe, The sentence will run concurrently, the magistrate ruled.
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