Ex-ACP sent to jail for one year

CHENNAI: More than two decades after he retired from service, a senior police official in the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police was found guilty of possessing assets disproportionate to his income while in service, and was sentenced to one-year imprisonment by the Madras High Court.

Vasantha Kumar of Chennai worked in the Tamil Nadu police department from 1991 to 2000. He retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Madurai. After conducting an investigation, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed a case against the retired officer, alleging that he amassed assets that are disproportionate to his known sources of income.

However, the special court in Chennai that deals with corruption cases acquitted Vasantha Kumar in 2014. The court noted that the value of the property he alleged to have amassed did not exceed 50 per cent of his sources of income and said it could not be considered as addition of assets in excess of income.

Following this, the DVAC moved the High Court, noting that the verdict would set a wrong precedent and added that the order was against the provisions of the Act.

Justice G Jayachandran set aside the trial court’s verdict and found Vasantha Kumar to be guilty as accused. Then the judge awarded the retired official one-year imprisonment.