VIJI V. Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is an application for Regular Bail filed under Sec. 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The petitioner is the sole accused in Crime No.VC-05/2024/PTA of the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau, Pathanamthitta.

(2.) The prosecution allegation is that the petitioner/accused, being the Assistant Engineer of the Vechoochira Grama Panchayath, demanded a sum of of Rs.1.00 lakh as bribe, for recording the measurements and preparing the bills of the de facto complainant, a contractor. After bargain, the bribe amount was fixed at Rs.50,000.00, of which Rs.13,000.00 was paid by the de facto complainant to the accused on 5/8/2024. Thereafter, as informed by the de facto complainant, the Vigilance team laid a trap and the accused was caught red-handed on 7/8/2024, while receiving the remaining amount of Rs.37,000.00. The accused was arrested then and there and she was in custody since 7/8/2024.

(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that, the petitioner is innocent and that there was no complaint, what so ever, against her in her career. As a matter of fact, an Assistant Engineer of Naranathukuzhy Panchayath was given additional charge of Vechoochira Grama Panchayath on the crucial day and it was not possible for the petitioner to seek or receive any bribe on the dates alleged by the prosecution. At any rate, it was submitted by the petitioner that she has been in the custody for the past twenty-three days, thus serving the purposes of interrogation. On such premise, the petitioner seeks herself to be enlarged on bail.