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2019 Supreme(Mad) 622

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
A.D. JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.
D. Chellaiah – Appellant
Versus
State by the Inspector of Police – Respondent
Crl. A. No. 1021 of 2005
Decided On : 25-04-2019

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant :V. Parthiban, Advocate.
For the Respondent: K. Prabakar, APP.

Headnote:

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with 13(2), 20(1) – Criminal Procedure Code,1973 - Section 156(3) and 313 – Demanding bribe - Evidence – Charged - Appeal against conviction - PW.2 in Ex.P7 that due to disputes between PW.2 and his neighbours in Village, in respect of repairing his house, PW.2 gave a complaint, dated, registered as CSR.No. in which, there was no action taken by concerned Police and that again, in respect of same dispute, PW.2 gave another complaint dated registered as CSR.No. for which also no action had been taken and hence PW.2 preferred a private complaint, before concerned Magistrate and that Magistrate had directed Police to do investigation - It is further alleged that PW.2 requested Appellant/accused to take action on his complaint on several times and Appellant/accused has been demanding said sum, without taking any action on complaint of PW.2 - It is further alleged that morning, when PW.2 approached Appellant/accused in his house, he demanded a sum and a plastic chair worth to take action on petitions of PW.2 and the balance amount should be given after taking action by him on the petitions of PW.2 - Since PW.2 was not willing give amount as bribe, on PW.2 had lodged a complaint to Respondent Police – Held, serial numbers of tainted money/currency notes smeared with phenolphthalein powder were found tallied with serial numbers noted in entrustment mahazar, Ex.P12, prepared at Office of Respondent - Further, possession of tainted money by Appellant/accused has also been proved by evidence both oral and documentary, as stated above - Hence, it is not necessary to send tainted money for chemical analysis, when tainted money was proved to be recovered from possession of Appellant/accused and acceptance was scientifically proved by subjecting Appellant/accused to phenolphthalein test - Court has perused said decision of Honourable Supreme Court - Facts of present case are different from that of the decision referred above and hence, said decision relied on by learned counsel for Appellant/accused is not applicable to case on hand, inasmuch as in said decision, conviction has been based solely on oral evidence and no scientific evidence has been let in, whereas in the case on hand, currency notes were smeared with phenolphthalein powder and notes were recovered from purse of Appellant/accused and apart from oral evidence, Prosecution has proved demand and acceptance by scientific evidence - Appeal is allowed in part

JUDGMENT :

1. This Criminal Appeal is filed against the judgment of conviction and sentence, dated 29.11.2005, made in Special CC.No.3 of 2002, by the Special Judge Cum Chief Judicial Magistrate, Perambalur, convicting and sentencing the Appellant/accused for the offence under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, to undergo five years Rigorous Imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs.5000/-, in default to undergo Simple Imprisonment for six months.

2. The case of the prosecution has arisen on the basis of the complaint given by PW.2, Natarajan, under Ex.P.7, dated 10.06.2000. It is alleged by PW.2 in Ex.P7 that due to the disputes between PW.2 and his neighbours in the Village, in respect of repairing his house, PW.2 gave a complaint, dated 14.10.1999, registered as CSR.No.84/99, in which, there was no action taken by the concerned Police and that again, in respect of the same dispute, PW.2 gave another complaint, dated 23.10.1999, registered as CSR.No.91/99, for which also, no action had been taken and hence, PW.2 preferred a private complaint, before the concerned Magistrate on 19.11.1999 and that the Magistrate had directed the Police to do investigation under Section 156(3) of Cr.PC. It is further alleged that since on 25.11.1999, one Tamilmani and others came and demanded Rs.20,000/- towards expenses for conducting the case and obtained his signature in blank papers, PW.2 gave a complaint dated 27.3.2000 to the Appellant/accused and the Appellant/accused told that only on payment of Rs.2000/-, receipt would be given and he will enquire into the matter and that on his further request, a receipt in CSR.No.34/2000 was given. It is further alleged that PW.2 requested the Appellant/accused to take action on his complaint on several times and the Appellant/accused has been demanding the said sum, without taking any action on the complaint of PW.2. It is further alleged that on 9.6.2000 morning, when PW.2 approached the Appellant/accused in his house, he demanded a sum of Rs.1000/- and a plastic chair worth Rs.250/- to take action on the petitions of PW.2 and the balance amount of Rs.1000/- should be given after taking action by him on the petitions of PW.2. Since PW.2 was not willing give the amount as bribe, on 10.06.2000, PW.2 had lodged a complaint to the Respondent Police.

3. Thereafter, a trap was arranged and an entrustment mahazar was prepared, detailing the numbers of the currency notes and demonstration of phenolphthalein test was made and the procedure regarding trap was explained to PW.2 and PW.3, the trap witness. In furtherance of the same, on 12.06.2000, at about 7.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., PW.2 and PW.3, Nagarajan [Trap Witness] went to the house of the appellant/accused, situated in Government Housing Quarters and handed over the plastic chair to him and also gave a sum of Rs.1000/- by cash to the appellant/accused. The appellant/accused also asked PW.2 to get two quarter bottles of Whisky and the same was also bought and handed over to the Appellant/accused and the same were received by the appellant/accused. Subsequent to the pre-arranged signal shown by PW.2, the Inspector of Police attached to DVAC, entered into the house and enquired the Appellant/accused and the other witnesses and conducted necessary chemical test on his both hands and the money purse, in which the tainted money was kept and the chemical test proved positive and then, arrested the appellant/accused and sent him to judicial custody. After recording the statements of the witnesses and after completing investigation, the Appellant/accused was charge sheeted for the offences under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

4. The case was taken on file in Spl.CC.No.3/2002 by the learned Special Judge cum Chief Judicial Magistrate, Perambalur and necessary charges were framed. The accused had denied the charges and sought for trial. In order to bring home the charges aga


























































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