Former MCD Dy chairman acquitted in bribery case

A former MCD deputy chairman and Congress councillor has been acquitted by a Delhi court of the charges of taking Rs 1 lakh as bribe from a man to let him rebuild a new house in place of old one.

New Delhi: A former MCD deputy chairman and Congress councillor has been acquitted by a Delhi court of the charges of taking Rs 1 lakh as bribe from a man to let him rebuild a new house in place of old one.

Special Judge Ravinder Kaur absolved former Councillor Ashok Jain from the charges of demanding and accepting the bribe from complainant Rishi Pal, saying the "quality of evidence produced by the CBI is weak in nature."

"The CBI has miserably failed to prove its case against the accused (Jain). The quality of evidence produced by the CBI is weak in nature and not sufficient to invoke statutory presumption under section 20 of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

"Accused Ashok Jain is acquitted of the charges under section 7 and 13(2) read with section 13(1)(d) of PC Act," the court said, directing Jain to furnish a bail bond in the sum of Rs 10,000 with one surety in the like amount to appear before the Delhi High Court as and when court issues notice in respect of any appeal or petition filed against his acquittal.

Rishi Pal had lodged a complaint with the CBI that the accused had sought the bribe to allow him to rebuild a new house in place of his old demolished one in Central Delhi.

He had said in his complaint that when the construction reached the stage of building the first-floor roof, he was called by Jain and threatened that in case Rs one lakh was not paid to him, the building will be demolished.

The CBI had said Jain was caught red-handed on August 12, 2004 while accepting the bribe at his MCD office in Old Delhi.

PTI

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