Lucknow: A special CBI court in Lucknow has convicted two postal officials posted at the Sub Post Office in Kunda, Pratapgarh, in a bribery case linked to recurring deposit (RD) account transactions.The court on Oct 12 sentenced postal assistant Suraj Prasad Mishra to three years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹15,000, while sub postmaster Santosh Kumar Saroj was awarded six months’ imprisonment with a fine of ₹5,000.The Central Bureau of Investigation said the case was registered on Nov 30, 2019, after allegations that the two officials conspired to seek illegal gratification from a commission agent who deposited money in RD accounts at the post office. Investigators alleged the officials demanded bribes at the rate of ₹100 for every ₹20,000 deposited, referring to the payment as “suvidha kharch” or convenience expenses.According to the agency, the officials also threatened that the agent’s work would be obstructed and difficulties created if the demanded amount was not paid. Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on Nov 30, 2019, and caught Mishra allegedly red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹1,000 for processing a deposit of ₹2,00,040.The CBI said it investigated the roles of both officials in the alleged conspiracy and filed a charge sheet against Mishra and Saroj on Dec 31, 2019. Following trial proceedings and evaluation of evidence, the court found both guilty and handed down the sentences and fines. The order marks the culmination of the 2019 case in convictions.
