Former Kandla SEZ officer sentenced to five years in jail in corruption case

In a significant judgment in a disproportionate assets case, a special CBI court has sentenced former preventive officer of Kandla Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and former Inspector of the Central Excise and Customs Department, Bhavnagar, Kaushik Anvantray Kareliya to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹63 lakh.

Special CBI Judge D G Rana delivered the verdict, sending out a stern message against corruption in public service.

The court also sentenced Kareliya’s wife Pooja Kareliya to one year imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹50,000.

While delivering the verdict, the CBI court referred to Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. The court noted that the chapter does not merely reflect human tendencies but can also be interpreted as providing moral guidance for conduct of public servants in society.

The special CBI court further directed that copies of the judgment be sent to the police commissioner of Ahmedabad city and the superintendents of police of Kutch, Bhavnagar and Gandhinagar for action.

The case, which had drawn considerable attention, pertained to the accumulation of assets disproportionate to known sources of income during Kareliya’s tenure in public office.