In Brief
M. Sambasiva Rao, an Assistant Administrative Officer in an insurance company, was acquitted by the Trial Court of corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The High Court reversed this acquittal and convicted him based on a bribery trap. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and restored the acquittal. The Court found serious flaws: the prosecution failed to prove demand and acceptance of bribe beyond doubt, independent witnesses did not corroborate the demand, contradictions existed regarding material evidence (shirt colour, whisky bottle contamination, police presence), and conjectural reasoning filled gaps in the prosecution case. The Court emphasised that acquittals require cogent grounds to reverse and multiple views demand benefit to the accused.
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