What Led to the Sentence of ESIC Officer in Satara for Bribery?
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Satara (Maharashtra), Feb 11 (NationPress) A Social Security Officer from the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in the Satara district of Maharashtra has been sentenced to a year in prison, along with a monetary penalty, in connection with a bribery scandal, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The Special Judge for cases under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act in Satara convicted Swapnil Jadhav, who held the position of Social Security Officer at ESIC in Satara during the time the crime was committed.
As per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the investigation commenced on March 28, 2016, following a written complaint from a private citizen. The complaint alleged that the accused public official had solicited a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the complainant to avoid imposing a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on his business, which was reportedly due to the firm having more than 10 employees, thus falling under the provisions of the ESI Act.
During the discussions, the accused purportedly accepted a lower bribe of Rs 25,000.
On the same day, March 28, 2016, the CBI executed a sting operation and apprehended Jadhav alongside a private individual while reportedly accepting the bribe of Rs 25,000. Both were caught immediately after the exchange.
Upon completion of the investigation, the CBI submitted a charge sheet against both the public servant and the private individual, identified as Abhijeet Jadhav, on June 28, 2016.
After a thorough trial, the special court convicted Jadhav and imposed a sentence of one year in prison along with a fine of Rs 50,000.
In contrast, Abhijeet Jadhav was acquitted of all charges by the court.