Bhandari along with 17 other departmental officers were accused by the CBI of abusing their position and hatching criminal conspiracy while awarding the contract work pertaining to rural water supply scheme to the local contractors. He was also accused of sidelining the guidelines of Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) process and accepting the panchayat recommendation for awarding the contract work. This caused pecuniary advantage to the contractors and resulted in financial losses to the state exchequer, the CBI alleged. Out of 37 schemes of rural water supply in Bhandari’s tenure, 15 came under the CBI scanner.

“I have fulfilled my promise to provide drinking water to the villages of Sikkim. The Centre had even awarded the Sikkim Government for its success. Now, this is in fact a reward for what I had done for the Sikkimese people and I am going jail for this,” Bhandari said.

The Sikkim High court, however, convicted only Bhandari as a principle offender, as the entire design to commit the illegalities was thrust upon by him under section 120 V and 5(1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act. Earlier, in 2008 the designated CBI court at Gangtok had convicted 10 persons including Bhandari in this connection. Soon after this judgment, the accused had appealed to the High Court against the trial court’s verdict. The High Court however upheld the judgment of the trail court and modified the sentence. “This was done keeping in view the fact that more than 27 years have passed since the perpetration of the offence and the amount of physical and mental suffering of the accused person all these appear have been quite huge,” the single bench headed by acting Chief Justice Sonam P Wangdi observed.

High Court pronounced the sentence for Bhandari on the 9th of August. The next day he surrendered before the CBI designated court at Gangtok to serve the imprisonment. However, Bhandari hardly stayed half an hour at Rongkey Central jail as he was admitted in Sir Thudop Namgyal Memorial Hospital (STNM), the oldest and premier hospital of the state after complaining of health problems. Dr. Kumar Bhandari, the cardiologist of the hospital and the Director General cum Secretary of State Health Department, admitted him into the cardio unit. A day ahead of sending Bhandari to Delhi, Dr. Bhandari said that Mr. Bhandari’s health situation was under control. However, the panel of doctors formed to look into the health of Bhandari, studying three medical reports informed that he has developed complication of Spondylities, urinal problem, diabetes, hypertension and back pain.

Accordingly, on the recommendations of the panel of doctors and state medical board, the State Government sent Bhandari to Medanta Super Specialty Hospital at Gurgaon on the 18th of August. On the day, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling also visited Mr. Bhandari, his greatest political enemy. Chamling also directed the doctors to provide all available medical facilities required for Mr. Bhandari’s health. “We are assured by the Chief Minister that the State Government is even ready to send my father (Bhandari) abroad if required for his medical treatment,” Primula Bhandari, the eldest daughter of Mr. Bhandari said.

When the news broke that Bhandari is being shifted to New Delhi, STNM was thronged with hundreds of his well wishers and party workers. Mr. Bhandari, who was at the helm of power in the state thrice, also broke down before them. “Even though I could not earn wealth, I have made many well wishers and friends. I will come back and repay their love and care,” he said while entering the ambulance brought for him to take him to Siliguri en route to New Delhi. He was then taken to Medanta hospital from Bagadogra.

This is the second time that Bhandari has been jailed. Earlier, in the 1970s Bhandari was jailed at Behrampur Central Jail in West Bengal. The then King Chogyal had imprisoned him when he led a democracy movement for Sikkimese people.

Recalling his past, Bhandari said then he was jailed while fighting for Sikkim, now he is going inside for the people. “I have fulfilled my promise to provide drinking water to the villages of Sikkim. The Centre had even awarded the Sikkim Government for its success. Now, this is in fact a reward for what I had done for the Sikkimese people and I am going to jail for this,” Bhandari said at the CBI designated court before going to Rongkey Central Jail.

Anoop Rai