Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, Jul 26: Lokayukta special court has slapped five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 34 lac on Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) assistant town planning officer B P Shivaraj on July 25 for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his service.

The then Lokayukta inspector Prasanna V Raju had gathered details of the properties held by Shivaraj. The then Lokayukta sub inspector and team had conducted a raid and collected several documents in this connection. It was reported then that properties worth Rs 38 lac beyond his sources of income were found during the raid. DySP Dr Prabhudev Mane who completed the investigation had submitted a charge sheet against accused Shivaraj. As many as 27 witnesses were questioned and 160 documents were produced in the court.

B P Shivaraj

The Lokayukta special court which considered the arguments of special government prosecutor K S N Rajesh decided that the allegations against Shivaraj were proved. It was confirmed that Shivaraj held properties Rs 17 lac over and above his known sources of income. The third additional district and sessions court pronounced the quantum of punishment. The verdict that ran to 106 pages was announced by B B Jakati, judge of third district and session’s court and Lokayukta special court on Monday July 26 declaring that Shivaraj is guilty under Prevention of Corruption Act section 13(1) and 13(2).

Shivaraj had pleaded that his quantum of punishment should be reduced as he is sick. However, the special government prosecutor strongly argued in the court that the accused should be sentenced to maximum punishment as the case is related to corruption.

The judge B B Jakati has ordered Shivaraj to undergo five year’s ordinary imprisonment and pay Rs 34 lac fine. Failure to pay the fine will attract another year’s ordinary imprisonment.

Judge B B Jakati said that corruption is like cancer in the society and relaxation in the quantum of punishment to the accused is not right. “As B P Shivaraj has earned illegal property of Rs 17 lac during the last 14 years, imposing double that amount as fine is justifiable,” he said.

The sentence has created shivers among the corrupt. The accused Shivaraj is remanded to judicial custody.