New Delhi: Former Communications Minister Sukhram was convicted on July 5 and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs 2 lakhs by a Delhi court which found him guilty of causing a loss of about Rs 1.68 crore to the government in the award of a telecom equipment contract to a private firm.

Special judge V K Jain sentenced Sukhram to three years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on finding him guilty for being part of the criminal conspiracy to defraud the exchequer by awarding the contract to M/S Arm of Bangalore, which had supplied inferior equipment at a higher rate.

The judge also convicted Sukhram for the substantive offence under Section 13(2)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and sentenced him to three years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The sentences would run concurrently, the judge said.

The court also convicted former deputy director general in the department of telecom Runu Ghosh and managing director of the private firm M/s Advanced Radio ltd, P Ramarao.

While Ghosh was sentenced to two years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50,000 for her offence to be part of the criminal conspiracy, Ramarao was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakhs.

However, all the accused were allowed time till August 5 to appeal against the order and were granted bail subject to their furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with a surety each.

PTI