A1995 batch IPS officer and, his accomplice, a former Superintendent of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), were convicted by the Chandigarh district court on Tuesday in a corruption case.

The punishment of the duo will be declared on March 7. Saji Mohan, Zonal Director and Balwinder Kumar, Superintendent of NCB, were earlier convicted in a case of siphoning drugs on March 2013. In the drug siphoning case, court had pronounced 13 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and Rs 3 lakh penalty for both the accused. On Tuesday Saji and Balwinder were convicted for misappropriating Rs 13.85 lakh. The cash, which was part of a property case, was handed over by Kumar to Mohan for depositing it in a bank. However, the money never reached the bank.

Charges of corruption, plotting a conspiracy and misappropriating Government property were framed against them in the court. Meanwhile the defense council of Saji stated that the money transfer from Government malkhana to a bank doesn’t come under the authority of a Zonal Director. The defence council stated that forged signatures of the director were used by someone who was conspiring against him. Signatures of Saji were misused for allegedly transferring the money by the accused, who later stole Rs 13.8 lakh from the total amount.

The NCB on March 2009 registered a case of meddling with heroin, ceased by NCB in more than 13 different raids. Saji Mohan and four others were arrested in August 2009 connected to the case. The accused were booked under the charges of stealing heroin from unclaimed seizures from the storeroom of the NCB headquarters. The investigation later revealed that an amount of Rs 13.8 lakh was also missing from a property case.

Mohan allegedly siphoned and manipulated the contraband seized from various places in Punjab and Jammu. Slaked lime was added to the contraband to manage the amount with the seized amount.