B`lore varsity woman senate member gets RI for taking bribe

Bangalore: A woman senate member of the Bangalore University was on Tuesday sentenced to five and half years of rigorous imprisonment by the Lokayukta court in a bribery case. Judge NK Sudhindra Rao sentenced Jayalakshmi Devi to 18 months and four years RI under two different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting a bribe of Rs two lakh for an official favour. The sentences will run concurrently.

The accused, who was present in the court, was sent to judicial custody. However, her son Alok Vasishtha, who was the second accused in the case, was acquitted. The Judge also slapped a fine fo Rs 60,000 and in default of payment, ordered Devi to undergo simple prisonment for another three months. On May 18, 2009, the complainant MK Shridhar, liaison officer of the Jindal Trust, had alleged Jayalakshmi as Chairperson of an inspection team had demanded a bribe of Rs five lakh from him for approval to introduce B CA and B Com courses in his college, and after negotiations agreed to accept Rs two lakh through a third person. PTI