Pandey sentenced to undergo 4 years RI

Pandey sentenced to undergo 4 years RI
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

CHENNAI, MARCH 2: Suspended IAS officer and former municipal administration and water supply secretary H M Pandey was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for four years in the Rs. 1.01 crore wealth case, today.

Special Court-I judge A C Arumugaperumal Adityan, who awarded the sentence after finding him guilty of offences under sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh, in default to undergo RI for one more year.

This is the third case in which Pandey is convicted. He was awarded RI for one year in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotel case and five years in the colour TV case.

``Pandey has conducted himself as a shame to other IAS officers, who usually maintain honesty and integrity at all levels,'' the judge observed in his 192 pages judgement.

Evaluating the value of properties procured by Pandey at Rs. 1.01 crore under sec. 12 of the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, the judge ordered the forfeiture of the amount.

The judge pointed out that Pandey, who started his career as an assistant professor in Kanpur University, sat for the competitive examinations and became an IAS officer. He was allotted to Tamil Nadu cadre and worked in various capacities. It was really a pity that such an intelligent officer unfortunately became subject to the evil of corruption. With an averish to amass wealth, he had roped in his relatives including his son and daughter, who were only in the prime of their youth, into his evil design by utilising all his intelligence in a perverted manner and became a slave to corruption monster.

As an IAS officer, he had an opportunity to do yeoman service to the public. But he had utilised all his calibre in an evil direction, flouting all canons of rules and morals. He had caused irreparable loss to the nation's economy. As head of various departments, he should have conducted himself as an illustrious example to be followed by his subordinates. But to the dismay, he had conducted himself as a bad example.

He had been successfully doing his corrupt practices from January 1, 1985 to January 31, 1997. The government had failed to take action on an earlier date itself by keeping close vigilance on such corrupt officers. It should have nipped them in the bud.

Pandey would have had opportunities to impart training to young IAS and Group I officers. It was unimaginable to think what sort of training he would have imparted to his subordinate officers, the judge said.