Ex-SHO gets 3-year rigorous imprisonment in corruption case

Patna: A special Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) court in Patna on Wednesday sentenced Lal Babu Prasad, the former station house officer (SHO) of Atri police station in Gaya district, to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 in a 2006 corruption case. The court also ordered an additional one-month jail term in case of default in payment of the fine.

Prasad was convicted under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

According to a VIB statement, the case pertained to Prasad demanding a bribe of Rs 8,000 from complainant Dhananjay Singh to avoid framing him in a false case. The SHO was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 6,000 as part of the bribe on Oct 13, 2006. The investigation was conducted by then police inspector Ranveer Singh, and the chargesheet was filed within the stipulated time.

Special public prosecutor Kishore Kumar Singh represented the state govt in the case and secured the conviction.

The VIB said this was the seventh corruption case in 2026 in which its special court has secured a conviction. The agency added that 30 accused were convicted by VIB special courts in 2025 and reiterated its commitment to continue action against corruption.