Vigilance registers corruption case against a Forest Deptt AE

GANGTOK, 26 Nov: A Vigilance case has been registered against an Assistant Engineer in the Forest Department with the police agency finding prima facie case of corruption against the said official. The case was registered on 23 November and the Vigilance police carried out two raids at different places of residence of the said engineer the same day.
Officials inform that the case has been registered against Gangaram Sapkota, an Assistant Engineer, Civil, presently with the Forest Department.
It is informed that the Vigilance police received, what they call ‘source information’, that the accused had amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income. This was examined and a process of verification by the police agency convinced that prima facie, the accused had assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Officials, however, stopped short of disclosing the actual amount that has been found disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The raids by Vigilance police were conducted at Gangtok and Chota Singtam, both places where the AE is known to have his residences. Several documents and other articles have been seized by the police in the course of the raids which are in the process of being examined. Officials stress that a search warrant was obtained before the raids were conducted.
The AE in question has been in government service for over two decades and had joined service in the year 1986. The check period, however, is yet to be set by the Vigilance.
A vigilance case has been registered under section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 13 (1) (e) of the same Act. The sections deal with criminal misconduct by public servants; it also stipulates that any person on his behalf, if found in possession of assets which the accused cannot satisfactorily or disproportionate to his known sources of income. This means that his relatives can also be investigated.