MAHENDRA SINGH CHOTELAL BHARGAD Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) For obtaining an illegal gratification of Rs. 3,000/- from Rajkumar Mohanram Sawani, (P.W. 1) through Mahendra Singh, the appellant before us, Uttamrao Baburao Raut, Inspector and Abdul Kadar, Sub-Inspector (hereinafter referred to as A1 and A2 respectively), of Ramdaspeth Police Station, Akola were convicted under Ss. 161, IPC and 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, while the appellant was convicted under S. 163, IPC. Aggrieved thereby they preferred separate appeals before the Bombay High Court which were disposed of with an order of affirmation of the conviction of the appellant and acquittal of the two Police Officers. Hence this appeal.

(2.) According to the prosecution case, in the night intervening April 12 and 13, 1984, A1 and A2 carried a raid at Seema Guest House of Akola and found Madhukar alias Shaligram Raut (P.W. 10) and one Ashok Thakur indulging in immoral sexual activities with two girls. They were arrested and brought to the Police Station by A1 and A2. Rajkumar (P.W. 1), the Manager of the Guest House, and Pramod Gangaramji Bhirad (P.W. 5), a friend of the persons arrested, went to the Police Station and secured their release on bail after paying Rs. 1,200/- to A2 as illegal gratification. It is the further prosecution case that a few days later A1 and A2 demanded a sum of Rs. 5,000/- as a consideration to drop the prosecution launched against Seema Guest House and its proprietor for immoral trafficking, but ultimately the consideration was fixed at Rs. 3,000/-. On April 27, 1984 A1 instructed P.W. 1 to pay that amount to the appellant, who stayed in a nearby hotel, on the following day. On the same day P.W. 1 lodged a written complaint with the Anti Corruption Bureau for the illegal demand made by A1 (Ext. 58) and Mr. Rade (P.W. 14), an Inspector of the Bureau, arranged a trap. On April 28, 1984 when the appellant accepted the currency notes worth Rs. 3,000/- at the tea-stall of Mahadeo (P.W. 3), as per earlier arrangement, the raiding party apprehended him with the notes.

(3.) To prove the accusation levelled against the three accused persons, the prosecution relied upon - and the trial Court accepted - the evidence of P.W. 1 and the members of the raiding party, to convict them. The High Court, however, declined to accept the prosecution case regarding the demand made by A1 and A2 for illegal gratification as it found the evidence of P.W. 1 (on which the prosecution solely relied to prove the demand made by A1 and A2) unsatisfactory. Since, however, the evidence of P.W. 1 that the amount of Rs. 3,000/- was paid to the appellant stood corroborated by its recovery from the appellant, as testified by the trap witnesses, it convicted the appellant.