Supreme Court overturns three-decade-old conviction of two officials over a Rs 20 bribe

In New Delhi, the Supreme Court reversed a 1996 corruption conviction of two government clerks, acquitting them after three decades of legal battles. Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Atul S Chandurkar concluded that the evidence did not establish a demand for a bribe, noting that merely possessing a Rs 20 note was insufficient for conviction. The original trial had sentenced the men to one year’s imprisonment and resulted in their dismissal from public service.

The prosecution had alleged that the clerk asked for Rs 120, allocating Rs 100 to himself and Rs 20 to a peon, but the court found the alleged demand unproven. The case stemmed from an anti-corruption bureau operation in which the complainant gave the note after receiving an income certificate. The court’s decision restores the senior citizens’ reputations and highlights procedural shortcomings in past corruption prosecutions.