A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inspector has been found guilty of corruption by a special court in Chandigarh for demanding a car and bribe from a pharmaceutical company. The case involved abuse of official position, threats, and extortion. The quantum of sentence will be delivered on Saturday.
A Demand Disguised as Duty: The Honda City that Sparked a Graft Case
In a case that shines a harsh light on the misuse of power by law enforcement, CBI Inspector Ravinder Singla was convicted on Friday by the Special CBI Court in Chandigarh for corruption, extortion, and criminal misconduct. The court, presided over by Additional District and Sessions Judge Alka Malik, found Singla guilty of demanding illegal gratification in the form of a Honda City car and Rs 4.3 lakh in cash from Nectar Life Sciences Limited, a pharmaceutical firm based in Chandigarh’s Sector 9.
The saga began in 2016, when T.K. Sharma, a senior manager at the company, filed a complaint alleging that Singla took the firm’s Honda City vehicle under the pretext of needing it for an urgent meeting in Delhi, citing the breakdown of his official vehicle. What began as a temporary request turned into coercion, as the vehicle was never returned, and repeated demands to repossess it were met with threats.
Singla, then posted in the Special Crime Branch of the CBI responsible for investigating cases referred by the Punjab and Haryana High Court allegedly threatened to implicate company officials in false cases unless they stopped asking for the vehicle’s return.
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From Misuse to Extortion: Money, Pressure, and Threats
The CBI’s investigation uncovered that Singla wasn’t acting alone. The agency named two alleged accomplices: Pramod Kumar Gautam (since deceased) and Paramjit Singh. According to the prosecution, the three men conspired to pressure the company into parting with both the vehicle and bribe money.
The probe revealed that Gautam and Paramjit met with Nectar Life Sciences’ representatives and cited pollution violations—allegedly committed by the company—as leverage to negotiate bribes. Ultimately, the company paid Rs 4.3 lakh, believed to have been funneled to Singla through his associates.
The pressure campaign even extended to demands that the car be transferred in Singla’s name or in the name of his relatives, further exposing the abuse of authority involved.
The CBI arrested Singla on May 26, 2016, following the complaint. An FIR was lodged, and a formal chargesheet was later filed. While Paramjit Singh was also tried in the case, the court ultimately acquitted him, citing insufficient evidence, whereas Singla was found guilty based on material presented during trial.
Judgment Delivered, Sentence Awaited
During the trial, the defence argued that the case was fabricated by the company to avoid regulatory scrutiny and painted Singla’s actions as being within the scope of duty. However, the court, after evaluating the evidence, rejected the defence’s claims and ruled that Singla’s actions were clearly aimed at personal enrichment and constituted criminal misconduct.
The court held him guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, which govern public servants abusing their position for illegal gains. The quantum of sentencing is scheduled to be pronounced on Saturday, which will determine the jail term or penalties that follow.