"The convict in this case has been an Inspector of CBI whose duty was to fight against corruption but instead of standing for the mission as a watchdog, he became blood hound and abused the colour of his office for plunder by indulging in corruption," Special CBI Judge R P Pandey ruled, while sentencing former CBI Inspector M S Sisodiya.
"A corrupt public servant is a menace to the society and brings the society and his service cadre into disrepute," the judge held while fixing six years jail term for him.
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Sisodiya, dismissing his plea for leniency saying, "Having old parents or minor children is not a ground for taking a lenient view against the convict under the Prevention of Corruption Act."
Sisodiya was apprehended by a CBI team at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station here in April 2004 and recovered from his possession chemical smeared cash handed over to him by complainant Amit Tiwari, an HPCL official.
The CBI team had been tailing him on Tiwari's complaint alleging that Sisodiya had been demanding a bribe of Rs one lakh for shielding him in a case.
Tiwari had also informed the CBI that the Jabalpur- based officer, while on an official visit to Delhi, had called him up to meet at a local restaurant and demanded the bribe.
Tiwari had met Sisodiya who demanded Rs 1,00,000 as bribe for favouring him. Sisodiya asked him to pay Rs 25,000 on April 23, 2004 following which Tiwari lodged the complaint.
According to the prosecution, Sisodiya, being the investigating officer of a case registered against Tiwari and others, had interrogated Tiwari in December 2002 in Jabalpur.
During the trial, Sisodiya denied that he had demanded or accepted any bribe from Tiwari.
The court, however, trashed Sisodiya's contentions saying, "There is no question of any doubt in the mind of the court about demand of the bribe made by accused from complainant which stands fully established.
"I am of the view that prosecution has proved its case against accused M S Sisodiya, the then inspector CBI (ACB, Jabalpur) under various sections of the prevention of corruption Act beyond all reasonable doubts," the judge said while convicting the accused.