STATE OF RAJASTHAN Vs. RANJEET SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment dated 25th April, 1997, rendered by Special Judge, Prevention of Corruption Cases, Jaipur whereby the accused respondent Ranjeet Singh was acquitted in the offences under Section 7/13 and Section 13(i)(d)(ii) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (hereinafter referred to as 'Act 1988').

(2.) The factual matrix of the case in nutshell is that PW.1 Krishna used to supervise the agricultural land of his younger sister Panchi. With a view to aid his sister, he purchased 2-1/4 bighas land from Ram Jachak in 12,000/- rupees for her and got its registry done in the office of Nayab-Tehsildar Pushkar. The registry of the land took place on the same day when the papers were filed in the office. It is alleged that the concerned clerk Ranjeet Singh dealing with all these registered documents did not issue the registry to him in routine. Instead he solicited for a bribe of 360 rupees for releasing the registered document. The complainant expressed his inability to give this amount on account of his poverty but the accused stuck to his demand and told that unless he gave 360 rupees to him, he would not hand over the registry. Finally, the accused Ranjeet Singh agreed to accept a sum of Rs. 200/- in lieu of releasing the registry. The complainant did not intend to grease the palm of the accused, so he filed a complaint before the Additional Superintendent of Police, Prevention of Corruption Department, Ajmer, who formulated a scheme for entrapping the accused. Having undergone the laid procedure, Shri N.K. Tripathi, Dy. S.P. Prevention of Corruption Department, Post Ajmer, laid a trap and recovered the bribe amount of Rs. 200/- from Raju @ Rajendra, the son of the accused. During interrogation, it emerged that the decoy gave the bribe amount of Rs. 200/- to Raju @ Rajendra at the instance of the accused Ranjeet Singh at his residence. Hence, the Dy. S.P. ACD arrested the accused Ranjeet Singh, prepared the seizure report and sent the detailed report to CPC Prevention of Corruption Department, Jaipur upon which Ex. P/18 was lodged and investigation commenced.

(3.) The Investigation Officer recorded the statements of the witnesses acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, took the relevant documents pertaining to the transfer and posting orders of the accused on record, obtained sanction from District Magistrate Ajmer to prosecute the accused and after usual investigation sent the accused Ranjeet Singh for trial to the Court of the Special Judge, Prevention of Corruption Cases, Jaipur.