A 63-year-old retired income tax officer has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by a Delhi court for extorting money from a jeweller here by threatening to implicate him in a false case.

Special CBI Judge Pradeep Chaddah, however, granted him bail as the punishment was not exceeding three years.

The court took a lenient view towards convict S K Chopra, Income Tax Inspector, on the ground that his daughter was married nine months ago and if he is sent to jail, it may give a bad impression to her in-laws and her married life may be affected. 

"Court must make an effort to strike balance between interest of society and age and related circumstances of the convict. Keeping in mind his age and background and the fact that his daughter got married about nine months ago and he will be required for performance of ceremonies.

"If the convict is sent to jail, it will positively going to leave bad impression on her in-laws' family," the court said, imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.

Chopra was found guilty for conspiracy under IPC and for offences under Prevention of Corruption Act relating to abusing official position by a public servant and accepting bribe.

He sought leniency on the ground that his daughter had got married in January this year and since it was the first year of her marriage, all the rituals and ceremonies related to various festivals have to be performed at her matrimonial house.

If he is sent to jail, it might create problem in his daughter's married life, he pleaded.

Apart from Chopra, Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax K C Chugh and Income Tax Inspector Purushottam Jolly were also accused in the case for demanding Rs 25 lakh from a jeweller in Karol Bagh here by threatening to implicate him in a false case and sealing his shop. The bribe amount to be given to the accused was finally decided to be Rs 2.5 lakh. (PTI)