The CBI office in Patna. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Aug. 20: The officials posted with the Patna branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s anti-corruption wing have reasons to cheer about. Its conviction rate in trap and forgery cases is the highest in the country.

While the conviction rate in the cases investigated by the CBI in the country dipped to 64.74 per cent in 2009 from 66.75 per cent in 2008, anti-corruption wing of Patna branch managed to award punishment to 90-95 per cent accused in the trap and forgery cases.

“The conviction rate in the trap cases registered by the Patna branch of the CBI is almost hundred per cent,” said a senior CBI officer.

Till August 15 this year, six cases were heard in the designated CBI court in which all the accused were convicted and sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment. The trial court also imposed fine on all the accused.

A sub-divisional officer of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) T.N. Gupta was awarded three years’ jail in a trap case a few days ago. Gupta was caught red-handed by the CBI sleuths while taking a bribe Rs 2,000 from a customer in R’ Block office of the BSNL in 2004.

Earlier, Deepak Patel, a head clerk in Danapur office of the BSNL, was held guilty and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in a trap case.

The Patna branch had recorded six convictions in seven trap cases taken up for hearing in the CBI court in 2009. One accused was acquitted by the court on technical ground.

Out of eight cases taken up for hearing in 2008, seven accused were held guilty and convicted.

In 2007, the branch managed to get the accused convicted in 15 trap cases out of 16 cases taken up for hearing. One accused was absolved of the charge by the court due to lack of evidence. He disclosed that the number of cases taken up for hearing in the court in 2008-09 was less as compared to previous years.

“The trial could not be held on a regular basis in absence of judge in the trial court,” he said, adding that the rate would go up after setting up of the special courts. The CBI registered 3,050 cases in the past three years in the country. While 940 cases were registered in 2007, 991 in 2008 and 1,119 in 2009.