Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday sentenced two former prison officials to five years simple imprisonment for allowing stamp paper racket kingpin Abdul Kareem Telgi to perpetrate crime when he was lodged in Bengaluru central prison as an under trial.

P.N. Jayasimha, the then Superintendent of Bengaluru central prison, and Nanjappa, the then Assistant Superintendent, were convicted under 13(1)(d) [criminal misconduct by a public servant] of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 each on them.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice John Michael Cunha delivered the verdict while partly allowing an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation challenging the September 14, 2010 judgement of a special court.

The Bench held that Jayasimha and Nanjappa, both retired and aged around 65, had flouted prison rules and betrayed the trust of the court by helping Telgi when he was in judicial custody, which is nothing but the custody of the court.

“Their conduct is unpardonable and it is like fence eating crop. It must be dealt with utmost severity. This is a misconduct of worst type and such act should be dealt with without showing any sympathy…,” the Bench said. As the Bench allowed the period of around three-and-a-half years spent by them in the prison as undertrials, they will now have to undergo imprisonment for around one-and-a-half years.