BMC officer sentenced to three years for ₹4L bribe in hoarding case

According to the prosecution, Singh was responsible for assessing advertisement tax in the Worli area, where De Zens was erecting a new hoarding. Although the company had already cleared its dues, Singh allegedly demanded ₹4 lakh to issue the mandatory no-dues certificate

Mumbai: A sessions court has sentenced Pravin Keshav Singh, an officer with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s G-South ward (Worli, Prabhadevi, Mahalaxmi, Lower Parel), to three years of rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe of ₹4 lakh in exchange for issuing a no-dues certificate to an advertisement company.

BMC officer sentenced to three years for ₹4L bribe in hoarding case

The verdict was delivered by special sessions judge Satyanarayan Navander on April 30. The court held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Singh had accepted illegal gratification from De Zens, an outdoor advertising company, which owns hoardings across the city.

According to the prosecution, Singh was responsible for assessing advertisement tax in the Worli area, where De Zens was erecting a new hoarding. Although the company had already cleared its dues, Singh allegedly demanded ₹4 lakh to issue the mandatory no-dues certificate.

After paying an initial ₹2 lakh, the company’s owner approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in July 2017. The ACB laid a trap, during which Singh was caught accepting the remaining amount, leading to his arrest and the subsequent registration of a case.

During the trial, the defence argued that the alleged bribe could not be established as the company had not fully paid its advertisement tax. The court, however, dismissed this claim. “Only because of the tax receipts of the particular date, neither the presumption as above stands rebutted nor is this evidence sufficient to absolve the criminal liability arising out of the ill deeds by the accused,” the court stated.

Judge Navander noted that Singh was caught red-handed with ₹2 lakh at the time of the trap and that the total bribe amount of ₹4 lakh was established during the trial. He held Singh guilty under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

While the defence sought leniency on the grounds that Singh is the sole earning member of his family, the court refused to reduce the sentence. “Mere dependency of family cannot be a ground for awarding a lenient sentence,” the judge observed. “A suitable deterrent sentence should be awarded so that not only the accused but also other potential wrongdoers receive a clear message.”