In Brief
An Inspector of Central Excise was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for demanding and accepting ₹300 in illegal gratification from a factory supervisor seeking a central excise registration certificate. The trial court and High Court upheld the conviction based on credible witness testimony and a positive chemical test. The Supreme Court confirmed the conviction but modified the sentence. Given that over 22 years had passed since the offence, the appellant was a 75-year-old widow living alone, and she had already served 31 days imprisonment, the Court found further imprisonment inappropriate. The Court reduced the sentence to time already served but increased the fine to ₹25,000 to maintain deterrence, applying modern sentencing principles balancing punishment and reformation.
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