A Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) court has sentenced former Pune GST superintendent Prasiddh Dubey, aged 66, to four years in prison and his wife, Vimla Dubey, to two years for amassing unaccounted assets totaling Rs 1.24 crore between 1994 and 2018.
The assets, which were registered under Vimla’s name, were determined to be disproportionate to Prasiddh’s declared sources of income. Both were also fined Rs 1 lakh each.
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In its judgement, the court observed that the case highlighted a serious misuse of official authority to amass wealth, deeming it an abuse of position that requires stringent deterrence. Special Judge S.H. Gwalani noted that Prasiddh, a public servant, utilised his wife’s name to conceal assets that were inconsistent with his lawful income. “Accused No. 2 [Vimla], as the wife of the accused public servant, was privy to all financial transactions and had the opportunity to shield these assets,” the judge stated. He concluded that Prasiddh had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of these disproportionate assets.
The judgement emphasised that a “known source of income” should originate from lawful means and be duly reported. Consequently, the court ordered the seizure of Rs 1.24 crore worth of assets, transferring ownership to the state government.
In sentencing the couple, the judge remarked that age and the prolonged trial process are common factors in CBI cases, yet they do not diminish the severity of the offence. The court dismissed any leniency based on the defendants’ age, underscoring the legislative intent behind the Prevention of Corruption Act to uphold accountability.
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Upon her request, Vimla’s sentence was temporarily suspended, contingent on the payment of her fine. Special Public Prosecutor Vimal Soni presented testimony from seven witnesses, along with documentary evidence, to substantiate the charges. The case originated from a CBI Anti-Corruption Branch investigation launched in 2018 following a tip-off. The investigation revealed that only two of the properties acquired during the period under review were disclosed by Prasiddh to his department.
Prasiddh defended himself by citing his commendation for ‘Excellent Service’ during his tenure and alleging that the investigation overlooked his family’s income sources. Vimla, in her defence, claimed independent income through a garment business, rental properties, and agriculture.
However, the judge found her income tax records insufficient to justify the assets, noting that they did not support her claims of independent income.
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