In Brief
Mukhtiar Singh, a Revenue Patwari, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for demanding and accepting Rs. 600 as a bribe from a complainant in exchange for providing a land record (Jamabandi). A trap was conducted, and the accused was caught red-handed with the tainted currency notes. The High Court confirmed the conviction but reduced the sentence from two years to one year per offence. The Supreme Court held that the twin requirements of demand and voluntary acceptance of illegal gratification were conclusively proved through direct testimony and recovery of marked currency notes. Minor discrepancies in witness accounts did not undermine material aspects of the case. The appeal was dismissed, affirming conviction under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the PC Act."
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.