(1.) The accused/respondents herein were charged and tried before the learned Special Judge, Special Court for trial of cases under the Prevention of 1/ xh Corruption Act, Tirunelveli, in Spl.C.; No.11/2014 for the offences u/s 7 and 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (for short 'PC Act') and the trial court, vide judgment dated 28.4.2015, acquitted the accused/respondents herein, aggrieved by which the present appeal has been preferred by the appellant/State. For the sake of convenience, the respondents 1 and 2 will be referred to as A-1 and A-2, as per their array before the trial court.
(2.) The facts of the case, as is evidenced from the deposition of the prosecution witnesses, could be briefly stated as hereunder :-
(3.) P.W.11, instructed P.W.4 to watch carefully the unfolding of the sequence of events on P.W.3 giving the amounts to A-1 and A-2. Accordingly, P.W.3, accompanied by P.W.4, entered the office and proceeded to meet A-1, where P.W.3 gave the refund form along with Rs.300/-, as bribe amount to A-1. A-1, thereafter, instructed him to meet A-2 and, accordingly, P.W.3 met A-2 and gave him the sum of Rs.200/- as bribe money and P.W.3 was assured by A-1 and A-2 that arrangements will be made for him to get the refund money back shortly.