Former union minister sentenced to prison

Former union minister Dilip Ray has been sentenced to three year imprisonment over his role in the alleged irregularities in the allocation of a Jharkhand coal block in 1999.

Besides Ray, the Special CBI court also handed a three year jail sentence to two others who are also convicted for their role in the case.

A fine of ₹ 10 lakh each was also imposed on all three.

Ray’s lawyer is moving a higher court for bail. He has also appealed against his conviction.

Dilip Ray, former Minister of State (coal) in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, was convicted under various sections including for criminal conspiracy, that varies a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, by the same court.

The CBI had sought life imprisonment for the former Union minister and other convicts, arguing that white collar crimes are on the rise and maximum punishment was required to send a message to the society.

The convicted persons had urged the court to take a lenient view considering their old age and that they have never been convicted earlier.

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