Panchkula: 8 years on, CBI court awards 4-year jail to EPFO ex-official

Sumer Singh Sangwan, 62, of Ballabhgarh, Haryana, was arrested in May 2016 on charges of graft involving assessment clearance of a private company

A CBI special court has awarded four-year imprisonment to a former provident fund inspector in a bribery case. He was arrested in May 2016 on charges of graft involving assessment clearance of a private company.

A complaint was filed by Sunil Kumar on the allegation of demanding ₹50,000 bribe by the accused, SS Sangwan, enforcement officer, EPFO when the complainant was working as an accountant in Amba Automobile, a unit of Hotel Amba Residency. (HT Photo)

“Corruption is eating into the vitals of the country and in case strict view is not taken then the efficiency and accountability in public service will be severally jeopardised. Further, punishment must be a deterrent which must serve as a lesson for others, ruled the court of special judge, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Haryana at Panchkula, Rajeev Goyal, while convicting Sumer Singh Sangwan, 62, of Ballabhgarh, Haryana, in a bribery case.

“Undue sympathy to impose inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system thereby undermining the public confidence in the efficacy of law. Hence, in my opinion the convict having been found guilty of accepting illegal gratification deserves no soft corner or indulgence from this court,” ruled the court while awarding four-year jail term along with a fine of ₹35,000 to convict Sangwan on September 21, detailed order made available now.

The court while convicting Sangwan observed, “...accused having demanded and accepted bribe amount of ₹35,000 from the complainant, Sunil Kumar, as a motive to facilitate the doing of work qua provident fund assessment thereby favouring the establishment, namely Hotel Amba Residency, and by doing the said act by corrupt or illegal means and by abusing his position as a public servant, committed offences punishable under Section 7 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d)(i) & (ii) of the PC Act and, therefore, cannot escape his conviction thereunder.”

“Looking into the misconduct of the convict in demanding and accepting the bribe money from the complainant by corrupt/illegal means and abusing his position as a public servant, no leniency whatsoever can be shown,” ruled the court while turning down his request for leniency considering his age and numerous medical ailments.

The case

The CBI arrested Sangwan, a provident fund inspector from Gurgaon, in May 2016 on charges of graft involving assessment clearance of a private company.

A complaint was filed by Sunil Kumar on the allegation of demanding ₹50,000 bribe by the accused, SS Sangwan, enforcement officer, EPFO when the complainant was working as an accountant in Amba Automobile, a unit of Hotel Amba Residency.

He said that he met the assistant commissioner, PF, on April 19, 2016, for annual assessment of PF of their hotel, who directed him to talk to inspector Sangwan, who was working as an inspector/enforcement officer in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, Regional Office, Sector 44, Gurgaon. On this, the complainant called Sangwan on May 3, 2016, to meet him. In the said conversation, Sangwan told the complainant that he will visit his hotel and meet him. On the same day, Sangwan met the complainant in Hotel Amba Residency and checked all the papers related to the PF assessment. After checking the papers, Sangwan pointed out some discrepancies in it and demanded a bribe of ₹50,000 for making assessment. A case was registered by the CBI in New Delhi under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act on May 20, 2016, and he was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹35,000.