Ranchi: A special CBI court in Ranchi has convicted former BSNL technical officer Ram Vinod Singh in a disproportionate assets case and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on the convicted officer.
Special Judge Yogesh Kumar, while pronouncing the verdict, stated that if the fine amount is not deposited within the stipulated period, the accused will have to undergo an additional one year of simple imprisonment.
The case dates back to 2007 when the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI in Ranchi registered a case against Ram Vinod Singh. According to the investigating agency, Singh had allegedly misused his official position during his service tenure to acquire assets worth nearly Rs 34 lakh beyond his known sources of income.
During the investigation, the CBI conducted raids at multiple locations, including premises in Jamshedpur. In one of the searches, officials recovered Rs 68,000 in cash along with documents related to several movable and immovable properties that were found disproportionate to his legitimate income.
After a detailed investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet in court. During the trial, the agency produced documentary evidence and examined several witnesses to support its case.
CBI public prosecutor Davinder Pal Sood argued that the accused amassed wealth through corrupt means by abusing his position as a BSNL officer.
Based on the prosecution’s submissions, documentary evidence and witness testimonies, the court found Ram Vinod Singh guilty under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
CBI officials said the probe involved a thorough assessment of the accused’s movable and immovable assets, which confirmed that he possessed wealth disproportionate to his known and lawful sources of income.
With inputs from IANS