Ropar, July 15
Ropar Additional District and Sessions Judge KS Bajwa today sentenced Ravi Sidhu, former chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), to six years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh for accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 5 lakh from an Assistant Excise Inspector as part of a Rs 35-lakh deal to select him as a PCS officer 11 years ago in March 2002.

The special judge, in the same case under Section 7 of Anti-Corruption Act, sentenced Sidhu to four-year imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000. Both the sentences will run concurrently. Soon after the judgment, Sidhu was arrested and taken to Ropar jail.

The case dates back to March 25, 2002 when Captain Amarinder Singh was the chief minister. Punjab Vigilance Bureau caught Sidhu red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh at his Sector 39 residence in Chandigarh. Sidhu, once a journalist, was appointed chairman of the PPSC by former Punjab Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar.

According to the FIR, Bhupjit Singh, the Excise Inspector, reached PPSC office seeking selection as a PCS officer (executive branch). He, however, was asked to pay Rs 35 lakh for the selection. After getting a whiff of the matter, the Vigilance Department laid a trap and caught Sidhu taking bribe at his house. The trial in the case, however, started next year on January 29, 2003, as nod of the President of India was required.

2002 Case
Sidhu has been jailed for accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 5 lakh from an Assistant Excise Inspector as part of a Rs 35-lakh deal to select him as a PCS officer 11 years ago in March 2002