Bhopal News: Cooperative Bank Officials Get Jail For Corruption

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): District and Sessions Court, Bhopal, has convicted four persons, including three former officials of the District Cooperative and Rural Development Bank, in a corruption case. Special Court judge Manoj Kumar Singh passed the order after a Lokayukta Police probe.

ADPO Hemlata Kushwaha said Sales Officer Harihar Prasad Mishra, officer RS Garg, GM HukumchandSinghai and buyer Rajendra Prasad Patidar were held guilty under Sections 420 and 120-B of IPC and Sections 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the PC Act. Each convict received three years rigorous imprisonment under IPC provisions and three years rigorous imprisonment under the PC Act.

The case involved Narayan Singh, a tribal farmer from village Barai, Tehsil Huzur. He had taken a loan of Rs 18,000 in 1989 for a pump and thresher by mortgaging his agricultural land. Investigators found that the accused illegally auctioned his 4.50 acres on March29, 2000, selling it to Patidar for Rs 1.10 lakh, far below market value and lower than the Collector s rate.

Officials misused their positions, violated auction norms and prepared forged note sheets, which were sent to the Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Bhopal, who confirmed the auction illegally.