HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN
K. K. SHARMA, J., JJ.
Makhan Lal
Versus
State
Criminal Appeal No. 69 of 1957
Decided On : 26-02-1958
PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT - SECTION 6 - SANCTION FOR PROSECUTION - VALIDITY - APPOINTING AUTHORITY - REMOVAL FROM OFFICE - AUTHORITY COMPETENT TO REMOVE.
Fact of the Case:
The appellant, a Station Master, was convicted under Section 161 IPC and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting illegal gratification. The sanction for prosecution was given by the Regional Traffic Superintendent, but the appellant argued that the sanction was invalid as it was not given by the authority competent to remove him from office.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the sanction for prosecution was invalid as it was not given by the authority competent to remove the appellant from office. The court found that the appellant was appointed to the post by the General Manager of the railway and, therefore, only the General Manager or an officer of equal or higher rank could remove him from office.
Issues: 1. Whether the sanction for prosecution was valid.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the sanction for prosecution was invalid as it was not given by the authority competent to remove the appellant from office. The court relied on Section 6 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which requires that the sanction for prosecution of a public servant be given by the authority competent to remove him from office.
Final Decision: The appeal was allowed, and the conviction and sentence were set aside.
2. The appellant was the Station Master and posted at Jhalawar Road Railway Station of the Western Railway since the 1st of January 1954. The case of the prosecution is that he was in the habit of demanding bribe both from those who consigned the goods from Jhalawar Railway Station or whose goods were received at the said station. One Bhanwerlali Dalai, hereinafter to be referred to as the complainant, complained to the police authorities about this and on the request of the Police authorities, the Distt. Magistrate deputed Shri. M.N. Kaul, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Jhalawar to go with the police party for the purpose of entrapping the appellant.
The party which consisted of Shri Ratan Singh. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jhalawar, Shri M.N. Kaul, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Jhalawar, and file complainant, in the company of one Gouri Shanker, went to Jhalawar Road Railway Station in the morning of the 9th of March 1954. The complainant had produced 10 currency notes of Rs. 5/- each and four currency notes of Rs. 10/- each before Shri Kaul and their numbers had been taken down. The complainant was then asked to go to the appellant and offer the illegal gratification. Bhanwerlal went to the appellant in the company of Gouri Shanker and offered him illegal gratification demanded by the appellant but he could not find time to pass on the currency notes to the appellant up till about 6 Oclock in the evening when the Down Dehra Dun Express was to arrive at Jhalawar Road Railway Station.
Near about that time, the complainant made over the fourteen currency notes mentioned above to the appellant, who put them in the ticket tube. A signal was given by the complainant and on this, the Deputy Superintendent of Police and Mr. Kaul rushed to the soot. The appellant was asked to produce the notes which he had accepted as illegal gratification. The appellant denied having received any illegal gratification but when a threat was advanced that his person as well as the whole place would be searched, the appellant took out the fourteen currency notes in question from the ticket tube and produced them before Mr. Kaul.
3. A Recovery memo. (EX. P/8) was prepared by Mr. Kaul and the numbers of the currency notes in question were noted down therein. Those numbers tallied with the numbers of the currency notes which a little while before had been produced before Mr. Kaul by the complainant for the purpose of being passed on to the appellant. At that time also, a memo was prepared, which is Ex. P/7 on the record of the case.
4. The appellant was arrested and sanction was obtained from the Regional Traffic Superintendent, Bombay for the prosecution of the appellant. That sanction is Ex. P/1 on the record. After further investigation, the case was laid before Special Judge, Jhalawar.
5. The prosecution examined the complainant Bhanwerlal (PW. 3), Shri Outh Chand, Chief Clerk, Establishment Section Regional Traffic Superintendents office, Bombay (P.W. 1), Shri M.N. Kaul (P.W. 2), Gouri Shanker (PW. 4), Ram Prakash Asstt. Sation Master, Jhalawar Road (P.W. 5), Shri G.D. Bhargava, Inspector, Special Police Establishment, Ajmer (P.W. 6), and Shri Ratan Singh, Deputy Superintendent, Special Police Establishment, Ajmer (P.W. 7). The prosecution also exhibited a number of documents, including the sanction (Ex. P/1), the memo, of t
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.