IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, J.
Ramesh Pahuja - Appellants
Vs.
State of M.P. - Respondent
Criminal Appeal No. 1826 of 1996
Decided On : 05-03-2015
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - Section 13- judgment of conviction - trial Court - dependable evidence - complainant was asked to produce five currency notes, each of Rs. 100/-. Demonstration of reaction of Phenolphthalein with Sodium Carbonate solution was given to the prosecution witnesses and the complaint by Inspector Kumar (PW8). The currency notes were smeared with phenolphthalein powder and kept in the pocket of the complainant with instruction not to touch it till demanded by the appellant and then give a signal. A.K. witness was also instructed to over hear conversation and watch transaction. The hands of the members of the trap team were washed and they were also searched. A pre-trap of the aforesaid proceedings was prepared – Held, Judgments in the case of do not come to the aid of the appellant in the facts and circumstances of the present case. One of the important principles laid down in the aforesaid two decisions is that complainants evidence has to be scrutinized carefully and the Court has to consider the decree of complicity and then look for corroboration, if necessary, as a rule of prudence. The extent and nature of corroboration that may be needed in a case, may vary, having regard to the facts and circumstances - In the present case, even if the circumstances of the case and false implication story is kept in mind, the requirement of law that in such cases, complainants evidence of demand should be corroborated from other dependable evidence and circumstance, on facts of the present case, fulfilled in view of ample corroboration of prosecution story of demand, acceptance and recovery by evidence of independent - Once the defence story of tainted currency notes thrust into the pocket and followed by hand shake with the complainant is not found plausible and probable, presumption under Section262 of the Act of 1988 has to be drawn as a consequence of recovery of bribe money from the pocket of the appellant. There is, however, one aspect of the matter which needs consideration. Learned Trial Court has awarded sentence of one year for commission of offence under Section 7 of the Act of 1988 and two years for commission of offence under Section 13 (1) (d)/13 (2) of the Act of 1988 and a total period of conviction of three years has been awarded. Learned counsel for the appellant, as his last submission, argued that looking to the entire circumstances of the case and considering that present is a case of the year 1995 i.e. almost 20 years old, the appellant, all these years has faced agony of pendency of criminal case and that now, he is 73 years of age, the sentence part may be reduced to the period already undergone by the appellant and the fine amount may be increased – Appeal allowed
Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, J.
1. This appeal is directed against impugned judgment of conviction and sentence dated 11/10/96 passed by the 5th Additional Sessions Judge and Special Judge (CBI), Jabalpur in Special Case No. 48/96 whereby and whereunder the appellant has been held guilty of commission of offence as described below:-
Conviction
Sentence
Under Section 13(1)(d)/13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
R.I. for two years and fine of Rs. 6,000/-. In default R.I. for one year.
Under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
R.I. for one year and fine of Rs. 4,000/-. In default, R.I. for one year.
Prosecution story, as unfolded from the records of the case is that one Vijay Shankar Awasthi, father of the complainant - Deepak Awasthi (PW4) suffered heart attack on 29/06/95 and was admitted in the hospital at Bhilai. Rs. 1,500/- vide receipt (Ex. P/9) was immediately deposited by the complainant towards treatment on 261/06/95. It is said, complainant -Deepak Awasthi (PW4) was called by the appellant and instructed that he should deposit a further amount of Rs. 1,900/- towards medical expenses and should pay separately Rs. 500/- for treatment. The appellant expressed inability to pay additional amount of Rs. 500/-, he being a poor person and already huge expenses having been incurred, but the appellant insisted on giving Rs. 500/- and the complainant was asked to bring the said amount on 29/09/95 in the morning at 10 AM. As the complainant did not want to give bribe, he complained the matter to the Vigilance Officer in the hospital, upon which, the vigilance officer informed him that CBI officers are staying in the retiring room of the railway station and he may contact them. Thereafter, the complainant met the Sub-Divisional Officer (Police) CBI-Shri N.K. Dubey and submitted written complaint (Ex. P/1). This complaint was handed over to Inspector Vinay Kumar (PW8). The complainant was then asked to come in the vigilance office and a report in Ex. P/22 was recorded. Two independent witnesses for the purposes of verifying complaint and laying trap were arranged by extending request to the Bank of India branch, Bhilai and National Insurance Company branch, Bhilai. On 29/06/95, the complaint and the two panch witnesses - Vinod Mehta (P.W. 1) and A.K. Dutta (PW2) presented him in the vigilance office. The complaint (Ex. P/1) was given to the panch witnesses to verify. Thereafter, they read over the complaint from the complainant. The complainant was asked to produce five currency notes, each of Rs. 100/-. Demonstration of reaction of Phenolphthalein with Sodium Carbonate solution was given to the prosecution witnesses and the complaint by Inspector-Vinay Kumar (PW8). The currency notes were smeared with phenolphthalein powder and kept in the pocket of the complainant with instruction not to touch it till demanded by the appellant and then give a signal. A.K. Dutta (PW2), panch witness was also instructed to over hear conversation and watch transaction. The hands of the members of the trap team were washed and they were also searched. A pre-trap panchanama of the aforesaid proceedings was prepared in Ex. P/2.
Further case of the prosecution is that thereafter, the trap team along with complainant, went to the hospital where members of the trap team arranged to stand near and around the place of sitting of the appellant. When the appellant came out of the emergency room and asked the complainant whether he brought money and upon getting response and money being taken out by the complainant, he accepted, counted and kept in the pocket. At that stage, the members of the trap team led by Inspector Vinay Kumar arrived at the spot, caught him red handed, he was taken to the emergency room where sodium carbonate solution w
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