Mohali: GMADA superintendent gets 5-year jail in graft case
The special court of judge Harsimranjit Singh also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the convict, Narinderpal Singh, 61, superintendent-4, Estate Office, GMADA, Sector 62, Mohali
A special vigilance court in Mohali on Saturday awarded five-year rigorous imprisonment to a GMADA superintendent who demanded a bribe of ₹35,000 for issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) in 2017.
The special court of judge Harsimranjit Singh also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the convict, Narinderpal Singh, 61, superintendent-4, Estate Office, GMADA, Sector 62, Mohali.
The co-accused in the case, Karam Singh, 64, a peon with GMADA, died during the trial. Thus, proceedings against him were abated in 2022.
According to case files, the complainant, Nasib Singh, and his wife, Manjit Kaur, owned a plot measuring 125 square yards in Sector 78, Mohali. Nasib intended to sell the land and approached GMADA on April 17, 2017, for an NOC. He had also submitted a fee of ₹4,700 through demand draft with his application.
The case was marked to superintendent Narinderpal Singh for further proceedings. When Nasib came out of the GMADA office, peon Karam Singh met him. Karam told him that if he wanted to get his file regarding NOC processed swiftly, “he would have to pay bribe”.
Complainant was given the runaround
On April 18, 2017, he received a call from Karam, who told him that his file was incomplete and asked him to meet Narinderpal.
Nasib visited the superintendent’s office the next day, only to be told that he would have to submit a bank certificate regarding issuance of draft in favour of Punjab Construction Works Welfare Board.
On April 24, 2017, the complainant visited Indian Overseas Bank and obtained the said documents. He met Narinderpal the same day. But was told that the documents only showed the bank transaction and would not suffice, as Form-D (permission for occupancy or use of building — completion certificate) was not genuine.
Accordingly, Narinderpal returned the documents to the complainant and sought a bribe of ₹50,000 to resolve the matter. The deal was settled at ₹35,000, with ₹5,000 of the total amount meant for Karam.
Friend advised complainant to approach VB
After coming out of the GMADA office, Nasib informed his friend Gurnam Singh, who advised him to approach the Vigilance Bureau (VB).
After being informed, VB sleuths laid a trap and sent the complainant and Gurnam to the GMADA office with 70 notes of ₹500 denomination, worth ₹35,000.
As Narinderpal accepted the money, VB officials swooped in and arrested both the accused. They were subsequently booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act on April 27, 2017.
Manjit Singh, additional public prosecutor for the state, contended that complainant, along with Gurnam, duly proved the demand and acceptance of bribe by accused Narinderpal.
He placed heavy reliance on a Supreme Court judgment from 2012, which held that in a corruption case, where two views are possible, the court should take the view that eradicates corruption.
However, the defence counsel argued that no demand of bribe was ever made by Narinderpal at any point of time.
After hearing the arguments, the court held the accused guilty, while observing, “It stands established that a bribe amount of ₹35,000 was taken by both accused for clearing the file of the complainant, regarding issuance of NOC of his plot. Corruption is corroding, like cancerous lymph nodes, the vital veins of the body politic, social fabric of efficiency in the public service and demoralising the honest officers.”