1. Challenging the conviction and sentence imposed on the appellant in Special Case No.25 of 2003 by the learned Special Judge-Cum-Chief Judicial Magistrate, Salem, dated 11.4.2007 under the Prevention of Corruption Act (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'), the appellant has come forward with this appeal. He stands convicted for the offences under Sections 7 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Act and sentenced to undergo rigourous imprisonment for one year for each offence and to pay a fine of Rs.5,000/- for each offence, in default, to undergo rigourous imprisonment for three months. The sentences have been ordered to run concurrently.

2. The prosecution case in brief is as follows:

P.W.2 is a resident of Ammapettai Village in Salem District. During the year 1997, he had constructed three houses on the property belonging to his wife (P.W.4). During the year 2002, he wanted to get Electricity Service Connection to four of the houses. He submitted four applications on 9.8.2002 seeking electricity service connection to the appellant, who was the then Commercial Inspector, at the office of the Junior Engineer (Operation and Maintenance), Thillai Nagar Branch, Salem. On re