ORDERONSENTENCE:

(C.B.I.Vs.BangaruLaxman)
th
Dated:28 April2012.

:INTHECOURTOFSH.KANWALJEETARORA:
SPECIALJUDGE:C.B.I.(P.C.ACT)

DWARKACOURTCOMPLEX,NEWDELHI.
FIRNo.:RC/ACII/2004/A20007
dtd06thDecember,2004
Undersec.:9ofPreventionof
CorruptionAct,1988.

Inthematterof:

CBIVS.BANGARULAXMAN
C.C.NO.:01/2011.

Present:

Dr.PadminiSingh,Ld.SpecialP.P.forCBI.
Sh.Sunil Kumar, Ld.Senior Advocate along with
Sh.Rajesh Khanna,Sh.ManishMohan and Sh.Atul
Kumar,Advocates,forconvictBangaruLaxman.

ORDERONSENTENCE:
1.

Character or class is not made in crisis,

ratheritisexhibited.Itistheerosionofthemoralcharacter
ofindividualsinparticularandsocietyingeneralandlackof

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nationalinterest,whichhasledtothelargescalecorruption
adverselyaffectingthesocial,spiritual,political,economical,
educationalandmoralvaluesofournation.

2.

ThewisdominthesayCrimeneverpays

isbeliedbythefactualrealitiesoftoday.Thecrimescenario
inourcountryisdistressinglydisturbing,asithasshattered
hopesofboththeplebeianandintellectualsocietyaboutthe
possiblerejuvenationofavaluebasedsociety.

3.

The problem of largescale and rampant

corruption, more particularly, the political corruption is

weakening the political body and damaging the supreme
importanceoflawgoverningthesociety.

4.

Present case of political corruption

involves Bangaru Laxman, the convict herein, who at the
relevantpointoftimewasPresidentofapoliticalpartywhich

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wasthelargestconstituentofthethenNDAGovernment.He
wasconvictedvidemyjudgementdated27thApril2012.

5.

IhaveheardDr.PadminiSingh,Ld.Special
Public Prosecutor for CBI and Sh.Sunil Kumar, Ld. Senior
Advocate for the convict on point of sentence. I have also
heardtheconvictonthequantumofsentence.

6.

Ld.Special PP for CBI relying upon the

observations made by Hon'ble Supreme Court on rampant

corruptioninourcountry,inacasetitledDr.Subramaniam
SwamiVs.Dr.ManmohanSinghreportedas2012Crl.L.J
1519,hasprayedforthemaximumsentence.

7.

On the other hand, Ld.Senior Counsel,

appearingfortheconvicthadsubmittedthatsentenceshould
belacedwithmercy. Hecontendedrelyinguponcasetitled
SantaSinghVs.StateofPunjabreportedas(1976)4

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SCC190,thatthecourthasnotonlytoseetheoffence,but
also the age, family, sobriety and emotional and mental
conditionoftheoffender. Hecontendedthattheconvicthad
clean and unblemished record of public life of almost four
decades.Hefurthercontendedthatthepresentconvictionis
the only aberration in his otherwise clean and clear
antecedents. He contended that the convict had undergone
bypasssurgerytwoyearsbackandisalso suffering from
diabetes.Ld.DefenceCounselhasprayedforalenientview.

8.

I have considered the rival contentions

advanced and have perused the precedents relied upon. I
have also gone through the medical record of the convict
submittedduringthecourseofarguments.

9.

Sentencingisanimportantpartofcriminal
administration of justice. Judicial discretion plays a pivotal
roleinsentencing.Theobjectforwhich,sentenceis

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imposedisnotonlytopunishtheconvictforanunlawfulact
committedbyhim.Butalso, itisimposedtomakeitclear
that the society as such, denounces the sort of conduct in
whichtheoffenderwasinvolved.Itisalsotodetertheother
personsfromcommittingthesimilaroffence.

10.

The essence of sentencing thus is the

balancingofinterestsofcommunityononehandandthatof
the accused and his family on the other, within the
frameworkoflaw.

11.

Although in the precedent relied upon by

Ld.SpecialPPforCBIinDr.SubramaniamSwami'sCase
(supra),thequestionofsentencingwasnotthepointinissue
before Hon'ble Supreme Court. However, I would like to
mention an observation of Hon'ble Supreme Court, which
epitomizesthepresentscenarioofcorruptioninourcountry,
thesameisasunder:

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45.Today,corruptioninourcountry
not only poses a grave danger to the
concept of constitutional governance,
it also threatens the very foundation
ofIndiandemocracyandtheRuleof
Law.Themagnitudeofcorruptionin
our public life is incompatible with
the concept of a socialist, secular
democratic republic. It cannot be
disputed that where corruption
begins, all rights end. Corruption
devalues human rights, chokes
development and undermines justice,
liberty,equality,fraternitywhichare
the core values in our preambular
vision. Therefore, the duty of the
Courtisthatanyanticorruptionlaw
hastointerpretedandworkedoutin
such a fashion as to strengthen the
fight against corruption. That is to
say in a situation where two
constructions

are

eminently

reasonable, the Court has to accept

the one that seeks to eradicate
corruption to the one which seeks to
perpetuateit.

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12.

Corruption, to my mind is worst than

prostitution as the latter might endanger the morals of an

individual, whereas, the former invariably endangers the
entiresociety.Itisvirulentforthenationandmakespeople
fullofire.However,theproblemisthat,whenasocietywhich
publiclyruescorruption,butprivatelyindulgesinit,thenwe
need to ask ourselves, do we really want a corruptionfree
society.

13.

Tomakeourcountryandsocietycorruption

free, islikeputtingaquartinapinthole. Buthowsoever,

grimmerthehopeis,westillhavetokeepitalivetoeradicate
corruptiontostrengthenthesocial,spiritualandmoralspirits
ofoursociety.

14.

If a country is to be corruptionfree and

wantstobeanationofbeautifulminds,thenIstronglyfeel
thatitcanbeachievedbyprovidingvalueeducationtoall,so

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that we can become responsible citizens, having strong

characterwhichwhentestedatthetimeofcrisis,isexhibited.
Wedonotwantthosehonestpersonwhoarehonesttillthey
getachanceoropportunitytobedishonest.Further,itcanbe
achievedbyhavingtheproperimplementationoftheexisting
laws.

15.

Herecomestheimportanceand roleofthe

courts. The courts should not be a distant abstraction

omnipotentinbooksonly. Courtshavetoactasanactivist
institutionwhichiscynosureofpublichope.Thecourtswill
befunctionalfutility, ifitdoesnotputitsallgunsblazing,
untilthewrongisrighted.

16.

Hon'bleApexCourtin Dr.Subramaniam

Swami'sCase(supra),whileremindingtheothercourtsof
the country of their duty, has given a mandate that anti
corruptionlawshastobeinterpretedinsuchafashionsoasto
strengthenthefightagainstcorruption.

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17.

Inthepresentcase,theConvicthadkepthis

individualinterestsoverandabovethenationalinterestand
hasevenagreedtocompromisewiththesecurityandsafetyof
thenation.Hehadagreedtohelpacompanyie.M/sWestend
International,cominguptohimforgettingasupplyorderof
defence related equipments to Indian Army. The convict
agreedtocompromisewiththelivesoflakhsofthesoldiers
whowithoutfearingfortheirlives,fightforthenation. He
evenintheveryfirstmeetingwiththerepresentativesofa
company, had agreed to extend his influence for getting a
supplyorderintheirfavorwithrespecttoadefencerelated
equipmentforhispersonalgains,withoutgivingitathought
thattheequipmentsofthiscompany, mayormaynotbeof
substandardquality.

18.

I, am in respectful disagreement with the

contention of Ld.Defence Counsel that no possible help for

gettingthesupplyorderfromMinistryofDefencecouldhave
beenextendedbytheconvict,asthecompanyaswellasthe

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productwerefictitious, thus nopossiblewrongresultedfrom

theactofconvict,sohebedealtwithleniently.

19.

No doubt, the company ie. M/s Westend

International and the product ie. HHTIs, which they were

promotingwerebothfictitious,butthisfactwasonlyknownto
therepresentativesofthecompany,whohadapproachedthe
convict for favor. Convict Bangaru Laxman had agreed to
exerthispersonalinfluenceinfavorofthefictitiouscompany
forhispersonalgainsbywayofgettingillegalgratification
with the intention and belief that the product for which a
supplyorderisrequired,isgenuine.

20.

Corruptioninitselfisbadandinthewords

ofHon'bleSupremeCourtislikecancerforthesociety.Its
gravity and magnitude assumes dangerous and perilous
proportions, if the same is done by someone in position of
authority,tocompromisewiththedefencemechanismofour
countryandlivesofitsbravesoldiers.

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21.

Considering the gravity and the impact

whichhisinfluencewouldhavehadonthelivesofthesoldiers
ofIndianArmy,hadthedesignofconvictmaterialized,Iamof
theopinionthattherearenomitigatingcircumstancesandhe
does not deserve the leniency sought for him. As the
aggravatingcircumstancesoutscoresthemitigatingfactorsof
ageandthepreviousmedicalrecordoftheconvict.Hebeing
President of a political party was supposed to have shown
exemplarycharactertoleadbyexample.Butthatwasnotto
be.Thereforetheresultofthepathchosenbyhim,shouldbe
such,soastodeterothersnotthetreadthesame.

22.

Section9oftheP.C.Act1988correspondsto

Section163ofIndianPenalCode.Thepunishmentprescribed
undersection9isforatermnotlessthansixmonths but
whichmayextendtoaperiodof5yearswithfine.Whereas
undersection163IPC,punishmentwassimpleimprisonment
foratermwhichmayextendtooneyearorwithfineorboth.

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23.

Parliamentmusthavehadgoodreasonsto

enhancethepunishmenttoaminimumimprisonmentof six
monthsandamaximumextendingto5years,withliability
topayfineaswell.Obviously,cognizancehasbeentakenofa
widespread prevalence of practice of exertion of personal
influence on public servants by people acting to favor third
party,fromwhomtheyhaveobtainedillegalgratification.

24.

Itisoftensaidthat:theaccompliceofcrime

ofcorruptionisgenerallyourownindifference.SabChalta
hai syndromehasledustothepresentsituation,wherewe
are,wherenothingmoveswithoutanillegalconsideration.
Peopleareforcedtopayforgettingeventherightthingsdone
atrighttime. Itishightimetoshunthisattitude. When
Parliamenttakingnoteofthegrimsituationhastakenfirst
step to sternly deal with such persons by increasing the
quantumofpunishmentwhichcanbeimposed,itistheturn
ofthecourtstofollowsuit, soastoimplementthewilland
intentionoftheLegislaturebyinterpretingtheprovisionsof

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Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 as per the dictates of

Hon'bleApexCourt.

25.

Balancing the twin interest of society and

thatoftheconvict,Iamoftheopinionthatinterestofjustice
wouldbemet,iftheconvictissentencedtoundergo rigorous
imprisonmentforatermoffouryearsandtopayafineof
Rs.1lakhforoffenceundersection9ofPreventionof
Corruption. He is sentenced accordingly. In default of
payment of fine, the convict is directed to undergo simple
imprisonmentforafurtherperiodofthreemonths.

26.

BenefitofSection428Cr.P.Cisgiventothe

convictandtheperiodofdetentionalreadyundergonebyhim
during inquiry, investigations and trial, be setoff against
substantivesentenceofimprisonmentimposedonhim.

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27.

Necessarycustodywarrantsbepreparedand

copyoforderonsentence,beannexedalongwiththewarrants
forrequisitecompliancebythejailauthorities.

28.

Copyofthejudgementandorderonsentence

begiventotheconvicttodayitself.

AnnouncedintheOpenCourt

Onthe28thDayofApril,2012.

(KANWALJEETARORA)
SPECIALJUDGE:C.B.I.(P.C.ACT)
DWARKACOURTS,NEWDELHI.

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