SupplyCo Scandal: Former Official Gets Rigorous Imprisonment

A former official of a SupplyCo supermarket has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case by the Kannur Vigilance Court. P Muhammad Ashraf was found guilty of diverting over Rs 14 lakh. Despite a 17-year sentence, the terms will run concurrently.

In a significant judgment, the Kannur Vigilance Court has sentenced a former official of a state-run supermarket to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for corruption. P Muhammad Ashraf, who served as an Assistant Salesman at SupplyCo, was convicted of misappropriating over Rs 14 lakh from sales proceeds.

According to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Ashraf failed to deposit the supermarket's sales revenue in 2012, instead diverting the funds for personal use. The court imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh alongside the imprisonment sentence. Although allocated a total of 17 years for various charges, the terms will be served concurrently, officials noted.

Prosecutors Anoop K B, Arun Nath K, Jithin P, and Ushakumari K represented the case. Following the court's decision on Wednesday, Ashraf has been transferred to jail, marking a strong stance against corruption by the judicial system.