The Supreme Court has acquitted a Gujarat government clerk and a peon in a bribery case registered nearly 30 years ago, overturning the convictions handed down by the lower court and the Gujarat High Court.
The case dates back to 1996, when the two government employees were accused of demanding a ₹120 bribe from a student for issuing an income certificate. During an Anti-Corruption Bureau trap, ₹20 was recovered from the peon, while the alleged ₹100 bribe was not found with the clerk.
The Supreme Court observed that there was no clear and convincing evidence establishing that the accused had demanded a bribe.The bench also noted inconsistencies i
The court made it clear that merely recovering ₹20 in cash was not sufficient to prove both the demand and acceptance of a bribe. In the absence of reliable evidence regarding the alleged demand, the convictions could not be sustained.n the complainant’s statements.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court set aside the judgments of the lower court and the Gujarat High Court and acquitted both the clerk and the peon.
The ruling brings an end to a legal battle that continued for nearly three decades.