‘No leniency, customs man to serve jail term’

Rajendra Jonko, former assistant collector (customs), will have to serve the remaining part of the four-year jail term awarded to him for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income — more than 24 years after the anti-corruption wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation registered the case against him.

Rajendra Jonko, former assistant collector (customs), will have to serve the remaining part of the four-year jail term awarded to him for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income — more than 24 years after the anti-corruption wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation registered the case against him.

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The Bombay high court on Monday upheld Jonko’s conviction and directed him to surrender before the trial court within four weeks.

Jonko’s counsel RM Agarwal argued that the sentence inflicted upon him was unduly harsh and since it pertained to an incident that happened 24 years ago, maintaining same sentence would be unjust. “Delays caused due to the system cannot work to the advantage of the appellant,” justice RC Chavan said.

In November 1987, the anti-corruption wing of the agency had booked Jonko for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Even though he tried to offer explanation for excess wealth, a special CBI court convicted him on two counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and awarded four years’ rigorous imprisonment.