ORDER :

1. The petitioner is before this Court calling in question proceedings in Special (SVC) No. 9 of 2021 arising out of Crime No. 17 of 2019 registered for offences punishable under Sections 7(a), 7A, 12 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’ for short). The petitioner is accused No. 1.

2. Facts adumbrated are as follows:

An anonymous complaint emerges against the functioning of the Sub-Registrar’s office at Gadag. The allegation was that all the staff in the office is in the habit of demanding bribe and, therefore, a request was made to personally visit the Sub-Registrar’s office, look at the truth and initiate proceedings. The complaint was made to the Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Based upon this, a crime is registered in Crime No. 17 of 2019, a search warrant was secured and office of the Sub-Registrar, Gadag was searched. What was found, according to the search so conducted, from the hands of the petitioner was allegedly Rs.9390/-and all others who were in the office of the Sub-Registrar at the time of search were either licensed deed writers or private parties who had come to get the documen