Rs five bribe lands stamp vendor, salesman in jail for 2 years

NEW DELHI: Demanding a bribe of Rs 5 has proved costly for a stamp vendor and her salesman who were today sent to two-year rigrous imprisonment by a Delhi court.

Manju Agrawal, 48, and her 26-year-old salesman Deepak Sharma were held guilty by Special Judge B R Kedia of entering into a conspiracy to sell stamp paper at a premium of Rs five.

"I have no hesitation to safely conclude that in pursuance of the criminal conspiracy hatched by both accused Manju Agarwal and Deepak Sharma to sell stamp paper on premium, accused Deepak Sharma demanded Rs 55 as against sale of stamp paper of Rs 50 on behalf of Manju Agarwal," the judge said.

It also imposed a fine of Rs 15000 on Agarwal and Rs 5000 on Sharma.

The court noted that the stamp vendor used to get commission from the government for sale of stamp paper and demanding extra amount beyond the amount of stamp paper amounted to demanding bribe.

The case was filed on the complaint of Satish, alias Shish Pal, who had said he had gone to buy a stamp paper from Agarwal at the Typist and Stamp Vendor hall at Karkardooma Court Complex on December 4, 2003.

He said Agarwal's salesman Sharma demanded Rs 55 from him for a stamp paper of Rs 50.