2015 Supreme(Guj) 497
IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT
Kaushal Jayendra Thaker, J.
Kishorbhai Meghjibhai Gohil – Appellant
Vs.
State of Gujarat – Respondent
Criminal Appeal No. 713 of 2001
Decided On: 13.04.2015
Advocate Appeared:
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: K.B. Anandjiwala, Sr. Adv.
For Respondents/Defendant: Maithili Mehta
Headnote:
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - Sections 7, 13(2) - Demand and acceptance of Bribe - Appeal against Conviction - Sustainability of - It was alleged that accused being a medical officer of Primary Health Centre that he was charging different amount either for giving treatment to patient or for issuing certificate, As per law demand and acceptance are required to be proved without any doubt and if one is not proved, vital part the offence cannot be said to have been constituted, Even the decoy patient has nowhere stated that doctor had demanded money, Non-examination of any other witnesses by prosecution who were present in Hospital when money was allegedly handed over to accused - No other evidence of any person to prove that doctor has demanded money -Held, Facts and circumstances and considering of case and decisions cited hereinabove, a decade old decision of Apex Court in case 1167 will also endure for the benefit of the accused. It cannot gain said that L 10/- en-cashed is an illegal gratification, and therefore, Ms. Mehta learned APP has not been able to satisfy this Court that accused had used any corrupt or illegal means so as to see him behind bar as the main ingredients are absent. He has not abused his position as a public servant submission is based on 23 years old decision of the Bombay High Court in the case challenge to the validity of sanction of a trifle amount of L 30/-. Bombay High Court has quashed the sanction order. Be that as it may. In this case, it has travelled to this Court and this Court has to decide this appeal after 15 years, may be during which time, the accused might have retired or could have started his own practice. In that view of the matter, on the benefit of doubts and lack of evidence, order of conviction and sentence set aside, Order of acquittal passed - Appeal allowed.
Kaushal Jayendra Thaker, J.
1. The present appellant has preferred this appeal under Sec. 374(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, against the judgment and order of conviction and sentence dated 30-7-2001 passed by the learned Special Judge, Valsad at Navsari in Special Case No. 8/1993, whereby, the learned Judge has convicted the appellant under Sec. 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced to undergo six months R.I. and to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/- each, in default, to undergo further S.I. for one month. The appellant is also convicted under Sec. 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced to undergo R.I. for a period of one year and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/-, in default, to undergo further S.I. for three months, which is impugned in this appeal. The brief facts of the prosecution case is as under:
1.1 It is the case of the prosecution that the Police Inspector Hussein Miya Saiyed was serving as such in the year 1992 in ACB, Valsad. In March, 1992, he received a secret information that the Medical Officer Shri Gohil of Vesma Primary Health Centre is charging different amount either for giving treatment to the patient or for issuing the certificate. He, thereupon, decided to arrange a trap. Accordingly, he sought the services of a decoy patient Bharatbhai Govindbhai Tandel and two panchas, namely Bimalkumar Jawaharlal Parikh and Hasmukhbhai Ramubhai Patel from the Forest Department. Bharatbhai Tandel was selected to act as a decoy patient whereas Bimalkumar Parikh was selected to act as panch No. 1. These persons were called on 30th March, 1992 in the office and thereafter they were instructed to come at 7.00 a.m. on 31-3-1992 at Valsad ACB Office. Accordingly, the above mentioned three persons reported at multistoried building Valsad at about 7.00 a.m. Thereafter, they proceeded to Navsari Circuit House. It is further the case that PI Saiyed produced the currency notes of Rs. 50/- in different denominations, viz. One currency note of Rs. 20/- and three notes of Rs. 10/- denomination. One Shantaram was instructed to demonstrate the use of anthracene powder and to apply the same on the said currency notes. Accordingly, Shantaram applied the anthracene powder on the said currency notes and thereafter the demonstration in U.V. Lamp rays was made. The characteristics of the said powder was made aware to those three persons. After demonstrating the experiments on the currency notes and explaining the same to the above mentioned persons, preliminary part of the panchnama was prepared in the Circuit House at Navsari. It is further the case of the prosecution that the pocket of the open shirt of Bharatbhai, PI Saiyed instructed Bharatbhai to go to the accused and to request for certificate and if he demands any amount, then the same is to be given from the smeared currency notes. The panch No. 1 was instructed to remain with the bogus patient and to hear the conversation which takes place between the accused and the bogus patient and to see the passing of currency notes if any. At about 10.05 a.m., the above mentioned three persons along with the members of the raiding party proceeded to go to Vesma and they reached to Vesma Cross Roads at about 10.25 a.m. Thereafter, the bogus patient Bharatbhai and panch No. 1 proceeded to the Primary Health Centre and the other members of the raiding party and panch No. 2 followed them. It is the case that Bharatbhai - bogus patient, took out a case paper from the compounder and thereafter he and panch No. 1 sat on the bench outside the chamber of the Doctor. At the relevant time, the doctor was examining one patient and after he left the chamber, the bogus patient Bharatbhai was called inside. Thereupon, Bharatbhai went inside and he informed the accused that since last 2 days he was suffering from fever and he required a certificate. Thereafter, the doctor examined him and issued a certificate. He further told to get the fitness certificate on 2nd. The doctor wrote dow