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1976 Supreme(SC) 183

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
P.N. Shinghal : R.S.Sarkaria
Chaturdas Bhagwandas Patel
Versus
State Of Gujarat
Case No. : 250 of 1971
Date of Decision : 4/16/76
Advocates Appeared: Anand S.N. : Keshwani N.N. : Shroff M.N.

Advocates:
M.N.SHROFF, N.N.KESHVANI, S.N.ANAND

Headnote:

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 – Section 5(2), 5(1)(d), 4(1) – Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Section 161, 34- Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – Section 537 - Bribe - Currency Notes - Ghanshamsinh went to Ahmedabad and contacted Public Witness 8, Inspector of Anti-Corruption Staff of Police and made a complaint which was recorded - Shri Desai then in presence of panchas, supplied a sum of Rs. 500.00 in five currency notes of denomination of Rs. 100.00 each to Ghanshamsinh for use in trapping accused persons in act of taking bribe - Notes were smeared with anthracene powder and Ghanshamsinh was directed to hand over same on demand to accused, and then signal to raiding party - After settling plan, party came to Zinzuwada - Ghanshamsinh was sent ahead with tainted money to police station - On seeing Ghanshamsinh along with panch Mahendra going to residence of accused no. 1, appellant called him and took him to his office room in police station - Ghanshamsinh informed appellant that he had brought money as agreed for payment to accused No. 1 - Appellant told him that accused No. 1 being away, he was acting Station House Officer and money should be paid to him, adding that he would, in turn, pass it on to accused No. 1 on his return - Ghanshamsinh then handed over those five currency notes to appellant who accepted same and placed them in drawer of his table - All the three persons then came out room - Appellant locked room - On receiving agreed signal from Ghanshamsinh, police party rushed in and caught hold of appellant by hand – Held, Contention must be repelled - Firstly, High court has not convicted appellant with aid of S. 34, Penal Code - Secondly, although in charge, only S. 161, read with S. 34, Penal Code was mentioned, language of charge, could leave appellant in no doubt that in addition to vicarious charge under S. 161, read with S. 34, he was being charged with commission of an offence under S. 161, simpliciter also - This was manifest from words : You accused No. 2 directly accepted from Shri Ghanshamsinh Champublia Zaia Rs. 500.00 - All material circumstances appearing in evidence constituting an offence under S. 161, Penal Code simpliciter were put to him during his examination - This objection was not raised in any of courts below at any stage - No prejudice has therefore, been caused to appellant by this technical defect in charge - In any case this irregularity stood cured under S. 537, Criminal Procedure Code - Appeal dismissed.

R.S.SARKARIA, J.

(1) THE appellant in this appeal was accused No. 2 in the trial court. He was a Head Constable (Jamadar) posted at the relevant time in police station, Zinzuwada. His coaccused (No. 1) was a Police Sub-Inspector posted in the same station. One Bai Sati, was alleged to have been abducted by Ghanshamsinh alias Ghanuba. She was in the police station on July 10 and 11, 1968. Accused No. 1 recorded her statement and thereafter asked one Fatehsinh (Public Witness 7) to bring and produce his cousin Ghanshamsinh . Fatehsinh accordingly produced Ghanshamsinh before accused No. 1/07/1968. Accused No. 1 directedthe appellant to take charge of Ghanshamsinh. The appellant did likewise and told Ghanshamsinh that if he wanted to get rid of the charge, he should gratify the Sub-Inspector. The appellant backed up the suggestion with a threat to handcuff Ghanshamsinh and put him in the police lock-up. The appellant further demanded a bribe of Rs. 2,000.00. At first Ghanshamsinh expressed his inability to pay the amount. Ultimately at the intervention of accused No. 2, the demand was scaled down to Rs. 1,000.00 and it was agreed that out of the amount, a sum of Rs. 500.00 would be paid on the following evening at the latest. Ghanshamsinh was then allowed to go. He then talked about this deal to his cousin, Fatehsinh.

(2) ON the following day, Ghanshamsinh went to Ahmedabad and contacted Shri R. R. Desai (Public Witness 8), Inspector of the Anti-Corruption Staff of Police and made a complaint which was recorded. Shri Desai then in the presence of panchas, supplied a sum of Rs. 500.00 in five currency notes of the denomination of Rs. 100.00 each to Ghanshamsinh for use in the trapping the accused persons in the act of taking the bribe. The notes were smeared with anthracene powder and Ghanshamsinh was directed to hand over the same on demand to the accused, and then signal to the raiding party. After settling the plan, the party came to Zinzuwada on 12/07/1968. Ghanshamsinh was sent ahead with the tainted money to the police station. On seeing Ghanshamsinh along with panch Mahendra going to the residence of accused no. 1,the appellant called him and took him to his office room in the police station. Ghanshamsinh informed the appellant that he had brought the money as agreed for payment to accused No. 1. The appellant told him that accused No. 1 being away, he was the acting Station House Officer and the money should be paid to him, adding that he would, in turn, pass it on to accused No. 1 on his return. Ghanshamsinh then handed over those five currency notes to the appellant who accepted the same and placed them in the drawer of his table. All the three persons then came out of the room. The appellant locked the room. On receiving the agreed signal from Ghanshamsinh, the police party rushed in and caught hold of the appellant by the hand. With the _ key found on the person of the appellant, Inspector Desai unlocked the room and recovered the currency notes from the drawer of the appellants table. The hands of the complainant Ghanshamsinh, panch Mahendra and the appellant were examined in tlie light of an ultraviolet lamp. Such examination revealed anthracene powder on the hands of the appellant and Ghanshamsinh: but no such powder was seen on panch Mahendra. Shri Desai prepared the panchnama. Certain police papers on the demand of Inspector Desai were produced by the Writer-Constable, Kansanbhai. These are ; (1) statement, dated 11/07/1968 of Bai Sati recorded by accused No. 1 ; (2) statement dated 11/07/1968 of Koli Mana Jiva, recorded by accused No. 1; (3) the writing sent by the Police Sub-Inspector, Dasuda under Javak No. 2991 dated 10/07/1968 as per endorsement dated 18/07/1968 to the Police Inspector, Zinzuwada ; (4) the statement of Bai Sati recorded by the Police Sub-Inspector at Dasuda on 10/07/1968. The Inspector seized these records.

(3) AFTER completing the investigation, the police
























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