CHENNAI: A Special Court in Chennai on Tuesday sentenced former Salem Corporation Commissioner V Pichai to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 in a disproportionate assets case prosecuted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
The case was registered by the Chennai unit of the DVAC after it was found that Pichai had amassed assets and pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2001.
According to the prosecution, the former civic official accumulated assets worth Rs 34.22 lakh, which was assessed to be 152.45 per cent higher than his known sources of income during the check period.
Following the investigation, the DVAC filed a charge sheet before the Special Court in Chennai. During the trial, the prosecution examined 23 witnesses to substantiate the charges.
Delivering the verdict on Tuesday, the Special Court convicted Pichai and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000. The conviction follows the successful prosecution of the case by the DVAC after a prolonged trial.