The Special Court for the Prevention of Corruption Act, in Tiruchi on Friday, convicted and sentenced D. Venugopal (62) formerly an assistant in the office of the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Tiruchi to undergo three years of rigorous imprisonment for abusing his official position and demanding and obtaining a bribe from an assistant professor, in January 2012.
The Court also slapped a fine of ₹10,000 on Venugopal, against whom the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC), Tiruchi unit had booked a case under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, acting on a complaint from the assistant professor, Sakthivel.
A DVAC press release said Venugopal demanded ₹2,000 as a bribe from Sakthivel, an assistant professor at the A. Veeriya Vandaiyar Memorial Sri Pushpam College at Poondi, in Thanjavur district on January 18, 2012 to arrange for the payment of salary arrears to Sakthivel.
Venugopal reiterated his demand, and obtained the bribe amount of ₹2,000 on January 19, 2012 in the office of the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Tiruchi. He was caught by the DVAC team. The bribe demand could be sufficiently established through the statements of witnesses, the press release said.
Venugopal was convicted under sections 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the release said.
