Criminal Appeal No. 833 of 1990. Case: Natha Bhau Dabhade Vs State of Maharashtra. High Court of Bombay (India)

Case NumberCriminal Appeal No. 833 of 1990
CounselFor Appellant: S.R. Chitnis, Adv. and For State: R.P. Behere, A.P.P.
JudgesV. H. Bhairavia, J.
IssuePrevention of Corruption Act (2 of 1947) - Sections 5(1)(d), 5(2); Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) - Section 161
Citation1998 CriLJ 1354
Judgement DateDecember 22, 1997
CourtHigh Court of Bombay (India)

Judgment:

  1. This appeal is preferred against the judgment and order dated 13-11-1990, passed by the learned Special Judge, Sangli in Special Case No. 5. of 1986, wherein the learned Judge acquitted original accused No. 2 and convicted the appellant-original accused No. 1 for the offences punishable under Sections 161 of I.P.C. and under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 and sentenced him to suffer R.I. for one year and to pay a fine of Rs. 500/-, in default, to suffer R.I. for 3 months for the first count and to suffer R.I. for one year and to pay a fine of Rs. 500/-, in default, to suffer R.I. for 3 months for the second count. Both the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

  2. The appellant along with another accused were charged for the offences punishable under Sections 161 and 165 of I.P.C. and under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, for demanding and accepting illegl gratification for a sum of Rs. 1200/- on 30-9-1985.

  3. The prosecution case in short is that, at the relevant time, the appellant was working as a Senior Clerk in the office of Superintending Engineer, Environmental Engineering Circle, Sangli. It is alleged that the appellant has demanded Rs. 1500/- from the complainant Adinath Devappa Magdum, P.W. 1, through original accused No. 2 as illegal gratification for securing permanent posting order in the same office as Tracer. According to the prosecution, the complainant PW-1 Adhinath agreed to pay Rs. 1200/- as part payment against the demand of Rs. 1500/-. The demand alleged to have been made on 16-9-1985 and thereafter the complainant PW-1 informed A.C.B. and lodged complaint against the appellant and other accused who was working as Assistant Draftsman in the same department. Accordingly, a trap was arranged and carried out on 30-9-1985 at about 20.15 hrs. at Sangli on public road in front of hotel Kohinoor. It is the prosecution case that original accused No. 2 Raghunath Anandrao Pandhare accepted Rs. 1200/- from the complainant and handed over to the appellant-accused and at that time, they were caught red handed by the raiding party of A.C.B.

  4. After drawing the panchnama and recording the statements of the witnesses, charge-sheet was submitted to the Special Judge and the learned Special Judge framed the charges (Exhibit 14) against both the accused. After recording the prosecution evidence, the learned Special Judge held the...

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