Mumbai Court Delivers 10-Year Sentence in Corruption Case: A Message Against Malfeasance

A Mumbai court has handed down a 10-year sentence in the case of Manoj Gaonkar, a former cashier at the Maharashtra legislature secretariat, for acquiring assets disproportionate to his income.

Presiding over the case, Special Judge S E Bangar found Gaonkar guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act, additionally imposing a Rs 50,000 fine. Prosecutors detailed that between 1991 and 2004, Gaonkar misappropriated government funds to gather an illicit fortune.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) unearthed Gaonkar's malfeasances, leading to the 2013 charges that culminated in the verdict. Over Rs 52.35 lakh was misappropriated, the inquiry revealed. Emphasizing the rising but under-detected corruption incidents, prosecutors advocated for stringent penalties, while Gaonkar's defense pointed to his clean record and family obligations.

(With inputs from agencies.)