2026:CGHC:11712 AFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRA No. 2674 of 2025 Suresh Kurre S/o Late Atmaram Kurre Aged About 39 Years Labour Inspector- Office Of Labour Officer Jashpur, District- Jashpur (C.G.) R/o Quarter Nagar 106, Sector-4, Balco Nagar Korba, District- Korba (C.G.)

... Appellant versus State of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station Acb/eow, Raipur, District-

Raipur (C.G.) Unit- ACB Ambikapur District Surguja (C.G.)

... Respondent For Appellant : Mr. Abhishek Sinha, Senior Advocate assisted by Mr. Ganshyam Patel, Advocate.

For Respondent/State : Mr. Saurabh Sahu, Panel Lawyer.

Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Judgment on Board

11/03/2026

1. This criminal appeal arises out of the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 26.11.2025 passed by the learned Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) Jashpur, District Jashpur RAHUL (C.G.) in Special Case (ACB) No.01/2021, whereby the appellant DEWANGAN Digitally has been convicted under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption signed by RAHUL DEWANGAN Act, 1988 and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 03 years and fine of Rs.50,000/-, in default of payment of fine to further undergo RI for 06 months.

2. Conviction is impugned on the ground that without there being any iota of evidence of demanding and accepting illegal gratification other than legal remuneration by the public servant by abusing his office, the Special Judge has convicted & sentenced the appellant as aforementioned and thereby committed illegality.

3. The prosecution case, in brief, is that the complainant Ramesh Kumar Yadav submitted a written complaint on 26.09.2019 before the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Bilaspur alleging that he was running an institution in the name and style of “Chhattisgarh Abhinandan Educational and Social Welfare Society, Kotba.” It was stated that the Labour Department, District Jashpur had granted administrative approval vide order dated 02.05.2018 for conducting training under the courses of Mason General and Assistant Electrician. Pursuant thereto, the complainant conducted training for about 320 persons within District Jashpur and thereafter claimed payment of training fees from the department. It was alleged that the accused/appellant Suresh Kurre, who was posted as Labour Inspector at the relevant time, demanded 10% illegal gratification from the complainant for processing the payment. It was further alleged that earlier a cheque of Rs.7,23,492/- had been issued in favour of the complainant’s institution and in consideration thereof the accused had already received Rs.1,50,000/- as illegal gratification. It was further alleged that an amount of Rs.6,37,000/- was still payable to the complainant by the department. When the complainant met the accused in his office on 24.09.2019 and requested for release of the said amount, the accused allegedly demanded Rs.1,00,000/- as illegal gratification for preparing the note-sheet and placing it before the competent authority for approval of the cheque.

4. Since the complainant was unwilling to pay the bribe and intended to have the accused caught red-handed, he approached the Anti- Corruption Bureau, Bilaspur and lodged the aforesaid complaint. On receipt of the complaint, Inspector Pramod Kumar Khes handed over a digital voice recorder to the complainant and directed him to meet the accused and record the conversation relating to the demand of illegal gratification. In pursuance of the said instructions, the complainant met the accused on 27.09.2019 near his official residence and requested him to reduce the demanded amount. At that time, the accused allegedly stated that instead of Rs.1,00,000/-, the complainant would now have to pay Rs.1,90,000/-, stating that he intended to purchase a Java motorcycle. The conversation relating to the demand of illegal gratification was recorded by the complainant in the digital voice recorder and he informed the ACB officials accordingly.

5. Subs