Govt official convicted in graft case

Mumbai, May 12 (UNI) A special court has sentenced a suspended assistant town planner and valuer to two years imprisonment holding him guilty of accepting a bribe of Rs 5,500 almost nine years back.

Judge V P Rote found Anil Gopal Jagdale guilty and awarded the sentence. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 upon Jagdale or face another six months imprisonment.

Jagdale was arrested on December 15, 1998 following a complaint lodged by S Vijayalaxmi Aiyar. The complainant had purchased a flat and Jagdale, while telling her that she had paid less stamp duty, had threatened to initiate action if she did not pay up Rs 20,000.

Jagdale later scaled down his demand to Rs 5,500. Aiyar, meanwhile, lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) whose sleuths laid a trap and apprehended Jagdale red-handed while accepting the amount.

UNI