JOIN USTwo decades of trial in a graft case came to an end on Thursday with a Delhi court awarding one-year imprisonment to two of the five accused.
They were charged with helping an under trial prisoner, admitted in a government hospital, on the basis of forged documents, the court said.
Dabas and Puri were convicted for criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the court added. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.2 lakh on Dabas and Rs 90,000 on Puri.
Gurbux Biryani was moved from Tihar Jail to G B Pant hospital for nine days on pretext of medical illness, the court said. His brother-in-law, Ashok Puri and O P Dabas were convicted by special CBI Judge V K Maheshwari.
The proceedings against Biryani were abated after his death in January 2010. He was lodged in jail in 1998 in connection with two cases under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act.
He was facing trial under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, when a court, on his plea, directed his medical check-up at LNJP hospital on July 14, 1998. But Biryani conspired with Puri and Dabas who were working as receptionists at GB Pant hospital to secure admission in the nursing home of the hospital, the prosecution had alleged.
"The accused chose to admit Gurbux Biryani illegally in spite of the fact that a large number of patients with serious ailments were waiting for their admission," the prosecution added.