New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS): A Delhi court sentenced a man to rigorous imprisonment for four years for stealing a judicial file from a courtroom.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tarun Yogesh said accused Anil Kumar Thakur, 51, must be given severe punishment, considering that "theft of judicial record from courtroom caused obstruction in the administration of justice".

"...considering theft of judicial record from the Ahlmad room which resulted in obstruction in the administration of justice coupled with the conduct of the convict in approaching the district and sessions judge, south district, Saket, for seeking transfer of the case after commission of theft of judicial record on December 20, 2012, signifies his pervert mind and the extent to which he can go to mislead the judicial system for his personal benefit," the court said in the order made available on Thursday.

Thakur was convicted on July 30 under section 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code for stealing the file from a magisterial court in Saket on December 20, 2012.

A case was registered against him on the complaint of court staffer Yogesh Kumar.

The court relied upon on CCTV footage and said the video clip established that the accused stole the judicial file of a domestic violence case registered against him.

The court observed that Thakur moved an application before the district and sessions judge in April 2013 to seek transfer of the case from the court from where he stole the file.