CE Supdt sentenced in bribery case - Greed is Limitless
A Delhi CBI Court last week sentenced a Central Excise Superintendent to one year Rigorous Imprisonment for demanding and accepting a bribe.
In this strange case, the Additional Commissioner,Central Excise, Rohtak issued a Show Cause Notice to a Delhi Firm. This Show Cause Notice was delivered by our Superintendent. The Superintendent who was a simple delivery boy hit upon the idea of making some good cash out of the Show Cause Notice. He promised to settle the Show Cause Notice for a consideration of Rs. 7.5 lakhs - and got caught while accepting a part payment.
The CBI Judge observed:-
(i) corruption is not only a moral wrong, legal wrong but is also a social evil with disastrous consequences.
(ii) Now a days corruption is deep rooted in our society. It is almost unchecked and uncontrolled.
(iii) The greed is limitless. Everyone wants quick and easy money and do not mind even if the same is by unlawful means.
(iv) It is indeed deplorable. It is making the whole system paralysed and putrefied.
(v) In the present case by demanding bribe the convict was only concerned with the satisfaction of his personal pocket forgetting that this way he would deprive the Excise Department of his lawful dues.
On the prayer for mercy by the Superintendent, the Judge observed, "The sentencing is always a complex process in a criminal trial; primarily it is to be borne in mind that sentencing for any offence has a social goal;sympathy or sentiment by itself cannot be a ground for passing an order on sentence."
Ultimately, was it worth it?