Mr. A.N. Jindal, J:- The accused – appellant Mohinder Singh (herein referred as ‘the accused’) was convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 2½ years and to pay fine of Rs.2000/-, each, under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (for brevity ‘the Act’).

2. The accused was a Junior Engineer in the Punjab State Electricity Board at the relevant time. The transformer, from which the electricity was being supplied to the complainant was burnt, which was neither being rectified, nor replaced. On 9.6.1998, complainant Dharam Singh (herein referred as ‘the complainant’) went to the office of the accused and made a request for rectifying the fault or to replace the transformer, but the accused replied saying that it would have to be replaced, provided he pays Rs.1000/- on account of illegal gratification to him. However, the bargain was settled at Rs.800/-. The complainant being reluctant to pay the gratification went to Sukhdev Singh PW and narrated to him the whole episode. Thereafter, both of them approached the Vigilance Bureau, Patiala and the complainant suffered statement, on the basis of which the First Information Report Ex.PB w