Team Herald
PANJIM: The Additional Sessions Court will on Friday pronounce the quantum of sentence for suspended Industrial Training Institute (ITI) instructor K Henry Daniel convicted for corruption in a bribery case.
During the arguments on quantum of punishment on Thursday, the prosecution demanded maximum penalty alleging that he is a habitual offender. “He impersonated as government servant and demanded bribe from a student. Demanding and taking bribe has spread an image that government servants are corrupt,” the prosecution argued.
Whereas, the advocate for the convict pleaded for a lenient view citing that he would be deprived of retirement benefits if punishment is stringent. “He has served for 35 years as instructor and is about to retire. He has already suffered a lot as he was suspended soon after the incident and facing departmental action. If he is awarded harsher punishment, he will be deprived from retirement benefits. It is urged that Court have a lenient view also considering that he has multiple health issues,” he argued.
The court on Thursday convicted Henry in the case charge-sheeted by Anti Corruption Branch. He was arrested while accepting Rs 1,500 bribe from Santosh Kittli of Vasco who had approached the instructor for admissions at the institute. The instructor was posted at the fitters sections of ITI, Panjim. The chargesheet had accused him of not only demanding bribe to facilitate the complainant’s admissions at the institute but also demanded another Rs 25,000 with a promise to enroll him as a peon in a government department.
