RFO (now retired) S Raghava Patali has been declared guilty of amassing assets disproportionate to the known source of his income by the third Additional District and Sessions Judge B B Jakati and sentenced to five years of simple imprisonment. The court has also slapped a fine of Rs 1.50 cr.
If he fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo one year of additional imprisonment. Judge Jakathi has pronounced a detailed judgment in 295 pages.
According to Mangaluru division Lokayukta SP C A Simon, the Lokayukta had received a complaint against Raghava Patali of amassing wealth. Accordingly, a complaint was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 on July 21, 2011.
Raghava Patali was residing at Konchadi Derebail and the Lokayukta police had conducted raids. Lokayukta DySP Vitala Dasa Pai had submitted a charge sheet to the court.
Patali was serving as RFO in the Sahyadri range in Belthangady when the raid was conducted. He had joined the department as a forest guard in 1980.
Published 28 January 2023, 07:32 IST