Ex-Govt Official Sentenced to 5 Years for Bribery in Puducherry

S. Manivanna, a former assistant in the Puducherry government, was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for accepting a Rs 3,000 bribe. The Central Bureau of Investigation filed the case in 2014, leading to his conviction by the Special Judge. Manivanna was also fined Rs 20,000.

The Special Judge (Principal District and Sessions Judge) Puducherry sentenced former government assistant S. Manivanna to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 20,000 in a bribery case on Wednesday, according to an official release.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the case on July 31, 2014, against Manivannan, then an Assistant at the Puducherry Secretariat. He allegedly demanded a Rs 3,000 bribe to process and forward the Visa Extension for the complainant's mother to the Foreigner's Registration Office in Karaikal, stated the CBI.

The ex-government official demanded the bribe at his office, threatening to halt the paperwork if the complainant didn't comply, according to CBI. A trap was laid, and Manivanna was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe. The chargesheet was filed on October 14, 2014, and the court found him guilty after a trial.

(With inputs from agencies.)