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Srinagar, Oct 31 (UNI) A court today sentenced an official of Jammu and Kashmir government to two-year rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 30,000 in a corruption case filed in 2004.

The Presiding Officer of the anti-corruption court, Kashmir Ghous-ul-Nisa Jeelani, gave the judgment against Bilal Ahmad Malik, then posted as Cashier in Rural Engineering Wing, district Pulwama today, a Vigilance Organisation (VO) spokesman said.

He said Malik was awarded two-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 30,000. However, in default of payment of fine he will have to undergo additional sentence of 45-day simple imprisonment.

The convict official was arrested and sent to Central Jail Srinagar to undergo the sentence, he said.

Giving details about the case, he said a FIR was registered on January 10, 2004 on a complaint filed by one Rafiq Ahmad Shah alleging that the cashier was demanding illegal gratification for releasing payment against execution of a Rural Development work in village Meshwara.

He said in the course of investigation a vigilance team caught Malik red handed while accepting bribe and the tainted money was recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses.

The challan of the case was produced in the court of law on September 12, 2005 by the Chief Prosecuting Officer of VO.

UNI BAS SP CS1800