3-yr prison term for Sukh Ram

Thirteen years after the CBI found Rs 4.25 crore stashed in a mattress and toilet of former Union telecom minister Sukh Ram, a Delhi court sentenced him to three years in jail and fine of Rs2 lakh under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It also ordered forfeiture of the cash.

“A corrupt public servant is a menace to society,” special judge VK Maheshwari said. Sukh Ram, who was granted bail by the judge on a personal bond of Rs50,000, said he would go in appeal to the high court.

Sukh Ram, now 82, had amassed the fortune between June 20, 1991, and August 16, 1996. His counsel claimed that he was the victim of political rivalry between former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and HD Deve Gowda. Besides Rao, 64 people were interrogated in the case.