K.PAZHANI Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellants are the accused in Spl. Case No.5 of 2004 and they were charged and tried before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Special Judge, Tiruvannamalai, for various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act (for short 'PC Act') and on being found guilty, they were convicted and sentenced as under :-

(2.) The brief facts necessary for the disposal of this appeal are culled out hereunder :-

(3.) Accordingly, P.W.10 requisitioned the services of P.W.3, an assistant working in the office of the Assistant Director of Panchayat and one Ganeshraj, Junior Superintendent at the office of the Zonal Director of Kadhi and Village Industries, Vellore, for the purpose of laying a trap for catching A-1. Accordingly, on 9.9.03, at about 8.00 a.m., the trap was finalised in the office of P.W.10, where the defacto complainant, P.W.3 and Ganeshraj were present. After explaining the details of the trap operation to the persons gathered in the office of P.W.10 and allowing P.W.3 and Ganeshraj to interact with the defacto complainant and after P.W.3 and Ganeshraj read over the complaint submitted by the defacto complainant, P.W.10 proceeded to coat the currencies brought by the defacto complainant to the tune of Rs.1,500/- containing one Five Hundred Rupee Note and Ten Hundred Rupee Notes, with the chemical Phenolphthalein. After coating the currencies with Phenolphthalein and experimenting with its proper functioning, P.W.10, along with the defacto complainant, P.W.3, Ganeshraj and other members of his team, proceeded to Chennasamudram Village to the office of A-1. The vehicle carrying them was stopped 500 mtrs., before the office of A-1 and the defacto complainant and P.W.3 alighted from the vehicle and proceeded to the office of A-1.