Lucknow, Jul 24 (IANS): In a 37-year-old case, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow has awarded three years’ imprisonment to eight people, including four retired army officers of Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel and Major rank, in a case related to huge local purchase at exorbitant rates to the tune of Rs 3.82 crore in violation of guidelines.

Senior CBI officials confirmed on Monday that the court also slapped a penalty of Rs 6 lakhs each on all the eight people.

The local purchases at exorbitant rates were done in connivance with officers and proprietors as well as partners of different fictitious firms from November 1983 to November 1985, causing a huge loss to government exchequer.

The CBI registered the case in the matter nearly 37 years ago in September 1986 and the charge sheet was filed in December 1990.

Charges were framed in April 2002.

The higher court had stayed the proceedings between 2019 and 2002 after which the trial was initiated on a day-to-day basis and the accused were sentenced.

Those convicted included retd Lt Colonel Satya Pal Sharma, the then commander works engineer (CWE); retd Lt Colonel K.S. Saini, the then Garrison Engineer (West), Allahabad; retd Colonel YK Uppal, Military Engineering Services, Allahabad (Admn, Command Station, Srinagar); the then Garrison Engineer (West), Allahabad; Virendra Kumar Jain, the then Garrison Engineer (East), Allahabad; Major SS Thakkar, then Garrison Engineer (Air Force), Bamrauli, Allahabad as well as Ashok Kumar Deora, Anil Kumar Deora and Pawan Kumar Deora, the proprietors/partners of different fictitious firms.