Former Industry minister awarded one year jail term

Gangtok, Oct 23 (UNI) Former industry minister Padam Lal Gurung who had been convicted yesterday in a disproportionate asset case, was today awarded one year jail sentence by a lower court.

Mr Gurung was also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000.

While pronouncing the sentence, District and Sessions Court (North/East) Judge S W Lepcha said in case of default of paying the fine, Mr Gurung will have to serve a jail sentence of an additional three months.

The Judge, however, granted Mr Gurung 60 days to enable him to appeal to a higher court against the sentence.

The Court had found him guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income by more than Rs 33 lakhs.

Mr Gurung was a former two-time minister with the Nar Bahadur Bandari government from 1984 to 1994.

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