Ex-Gujarat IAS Officer Sentenced to 5 Years Jail for 2004 Corruption Case

A sessions court in Gujarat has sentenced former IAS officer Pradeep Sharma to five years in jail and fined him ₹75,000 in connection with a corruption case from 2004. This case dates back to his tenure as the collector of Kutch district.

The judgment was delivered by the principal district and session judge, KM Sojitra. The case, filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), involved the allotment of government land to Welspun Group at a heavily reduced price, which allegedly caused a loss of ₹1.2 crore to the state exchequer.

The court found Sharma guilty under Section 13(2) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) and Section 11 (public servants obtaining an undue advantage without consideration) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He received a five-year jail term and a ₹50,000 fine under Section 13(2) and an additional three-year sentence and a ₹25,000 fine under Section 11. However, both sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve the longest of the two terms.

Details of the Case

The case centered on Sharma's alleged role in allotting land to Welspun Group at just 25% of the prevailing market rate, significantly undervaluing the property. In return, the company reportedly made his wife a 30% partner in Value Packaging, one of its subsidiaries, granting her a financial benefit of ₹29.5 lakh.

Sharma was arrested by the ACB in September 2014 for accepting ₹29 lakh in bribes from the company while working as a collector.

Other Corruption Cases and Allegations

Sharma is also facing multiple corruption charges. The court conducted a joint trial for three cases related to the allotment of land to Welspun Group. At present, he is already serving jail time in Bhuj in connection with another corruption case.

Controversial Background

Sharma's relationship with the Gujarat government, particularly during the tenure of Narendra Modi as chief minister, has been strained. He had previously sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into alleged snooping on a woman architect.

Two news portals released audio recordings in 2009 that they claimed were conversations between Amit Shah, then the state’s minister of home affairs, and senior police officials. The recordings mentioned a "saheb," which the portals alleged referred to the then Gujarat CM. However, Shah denied these claims and dismissed them as baseless.

The recent sentencing marks a significant development in the long-standing legal battles faced by the former IAS officer.

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