Patna, July 8 (IANS) A Special CBI Court in Patna on Tuesday sentenced a former quality control manager of the Food Corporation of India to 18 months’ Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 25,000 in a bribery case.

Liyaqat Ali, the then Manager (Quality Control), Food Corporation of India, Buxar, was held guilty under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for demanding Rs 7,200 bribe for releasing a payment of Rs 4.49 lakh to a group of rice suppliers.

The CBI had registered the case on May 13, 2010. After Investigation, the probe agency filed the chargesheet against Ali on September 15, 2010.

During investigation it was revealed that the complainant Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) President, District Buxar, purchased paddy from farmers and after milling deposited 26,798 tonnes of rice in FCI Buxar. The bill for the said rice amounted to Rs 4.49 lakh.

When the complainant met the accused Liyaqat Ali for processing and payment of his money, the accused demanded a bribe of Rs 7,200 from the petitioner for processing the bill.

The complainant then approached the CBI and expressed reluctance to pay the bribe.

On the basis of the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on May 13, 2010 and Ali was apprehended while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 7,200.

The bribe amount was recovered from the accused by the CBI team, said an official statement.

The Special Court found merit in the charges filed against the accused by the CBI and convicted and sentenced him.

In a related development, the CBI booked an accountant of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) who used to collect bribes for clearing his colleagues’ allowance bills, an official said on Tuesday.

Mukesh Ranjan Gupta, Assistant Account Officer, CGWB, Varanasi, was booked by the federal agency on the complaint of his colleague from whom he had demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 for clearing his travel allowance bill.

According to complainant Chaturanan Trivedi, Gupta threatened to get an enquiry ordered against him if he failed to pay the bribe.

Trivedi, in his complaint to the CBI on July 3, said he is an Assistant Driller (ADCM) in CGWB, Khand-3, Dindayal Bunkar Seva Kendre (TFC), Bada Lalpur, Varanasi and his travel allowance bill for January 2025 was withheld by Gupta.

–IANS

rch/rad