Assam civil servant sentenced to 4 years imprisonment in bribery case

GUWAHATI: A special court in Guwahati on Thursday sentenced an Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer to four years imprisonment in a bribery case. She has also been charged a fine of Rs 20,000

The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau of Assam police in 2015 had arrested ACS officer Nandita Konwar for allegedly accepting a bribe from a member of an NGO.

“Spl V&AC Court Ghty in Case No.10/2017 convicted Smti Nandita Konwar, ACS, then serving as PD, DRDA, Kamrup(M) Punishment: u/s 7 PC Act-3 years & fine of Rs.12,000/- u/s 13(2) PC Act-4 years & fine of Rs 20000 Both sentences to run concurrently,” Special DGP GP Singh said in a tweet.

Konwar, daughter of former Assam Congress minister and ex-governor of Bihar and Tripura Devananda Konwar, was allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe at Chandmari on October 8, 2015.

At the time of her arrest, she was posted as the project director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) of Kamrup (metro) district.

Konwar was arrested for allegedly demanding and receiving Rs 12,000 from Purna Chetry, adviser to Durga Sarovar Unnayan Samity, an NGO.

Konwar had demanded 12 per cent of the bill amount of Rs 1.2 lakh for constructing a road at Durga Sarovar built with funds from MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) of Guwahati MP Bijoya Chakravarty of the BJP, the officer said.On a complaint from the contractor, Purno Chetri, vigilance and anti-corruption personnel had laid a trap and caught Nandita Konwar red-handed while taking the money.