Gurugram, Feb 23 (PTI) A court here on Friday sentenced a linesman working at the Dakshini Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to three years of imprisonment for taking a bribe of Rs 1.20 lakh, police said.
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Tarun Singal also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on the linesman after holding him guilty of taking the bribe in the name of electricity bill settlement in 2020.
According to police, Vivek, a resident of Bhiwadi, was operating a PG in Sector 54. In November and December 2019, the electricity bill of the PG exceeded Rs 2 lakh and when he did not clear the dues, the DHBVN removed his meter on January 10 in 2020. He approached the SDO South City office to pay the electricity bill.
Police said the complainant met the linesman, Pawan Pradhan, in the SDO office who said he would reduce his electricity bill and make a settlement. "He asked for Rs 1.20 lakh for the same. Vivek paid Rs 90,000 to Pawan and promised that he would give the remaining Rs 30,000 later. He did not give any receipt for it nor did he get any meter installed," the FIR said.
Vivek said that after taking the money, Pradhan started making excuses and even after seven months, he did not get the meter installed.
After postponing it for a few days, he sent linesman Jai Prakash to connect the direct electricity line to his PG. Despite repeated requests, neither the money was returned nor the meter was installed and then Vivek moved to police.
The police registered a case and arrested Pradhan.
The evidence and witnesses presented by the prosecution in the court proved the charges against the accused. The court has found him guilty under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him, police said.
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