Guwahati, July 19: A former block development officer (BDO) of Nalbari district was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for four years by a special court here today.

The court of special judge, Assam, M. Ali convicted the accused, Gopal Ranghang, under Section 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Ranghang was sentenced to four-year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 20,000 under Section 468 IPC.

In default of payment of fine, he will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment for another year.

Under Section 409 IPC, he was sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for two years with a fine of Rs 10,000 and in case of failure in payment of fine he will have to undergo simple imprisonment for another six months.

Both the sentences will run concurrently, meaning that he will serve a total of four years in prison.

The judge passed the order in connection with the special case number: 7/2010, registered at the Tihu police station under Nalbari district.

According to the prosecution, the accused, who was the BDO of Tihu block in 2008, had gone on leave on April 9, 2008 after handing over the charge to the project director of Nalbari.

However, on April 8, 2008, without joining service, he collected the cheque book of the official account of the BDO office from the Nathkuchi branch of the Central Bank of India and without any authorisation issued a cheque for Rs 40 lakh in favour of M/s Allied Business Corporation, Guwahati.

The prosecution stated that the accused had placed a fake order for supply of 1,000 bundles of GCI sheets and some other material for Tihu development block.

Instead of keeping these materials at the official godown, he stored them at the residence of one Dipak Talukdar of Tihu for future disposal.

On the date of issuing the cheque by the accused, one Rituparna Thakuria was in charge as the Tihu BDO.

The corruption in procurement and supply of GCI sheets was revealed when the supplier moved the deputy commissioner Nalbari to make the payment of Rs 40 lakh.

During investigation, police seized the GCI sheets and other materials.

The court, however, acquitted the other two accused in the case — Sagar Samrat Gupta and Dipak Talukdar — based on benefit of doubt.

Special public prosecutor R.K. Bharali and additional special public prosecutor D.K. Das appeared on behalf of the prosecution while advocates O.P. Bhati and A. Ahmed were the defence counsels.