JUDGMENT :

A.V. RAVINDRA BABU, J.

1. This Criminal Appeal, under Section 378(1) and (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short “the Cr.P.C.”) is filed by the State, being represented by Inspector of Police, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Range-III, Vijayawada through the Standing Counsel for ACB and Special Public prosecutor questioning the judgment in Calendar Case No. 13 of 1999, dated 16.05.2005, on the file of the Court of Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases, Vijayawada (for short “the Special Judge”) where under the learned Special Judge found the Accused Officer (AO) not guilty of the charges under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) R/w. Section 13(2) of the Prevention of the Corruption Act, 1988 (for short “the PC Act”) and accordingly acquitted him of the charges under Section 248(1) Cr.P.C.

2. The parties to this Criminal Appeal will hereinafter be referred to as described before the trial Court, for the sake of convenience.

3. The case of the prosecution, in brief, according to the charge sheet filed by Range Inspector-III, ACB, Vijayawada in Crime No. 8/ACB-VJA/98, is that the AO viz. Battina Venkateswara Rao, worked as Mandal Praja Parishad Development Officer i.e. Mandal D