In Brief
An Executive Engineer was accused of accepting bribes from a contractor. Anti-corruption authorities trapped him with marked currency; his hands tested positive for taint. While the engineer was exonerated in departmental disciplinary proceedings, criminal prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act continued. The High Court quashed the criminal case, relying on the exoneration. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that departmental and criminal proceedings are independent. Exoneration in disciplinary inquiry—decided on lower evidentiary standards—does not automatically bar criminal prosecution, which requires proof beyond reasonable doubt. Only complete exoneration on merits demolishing the allegations warrants quashing. The Court allowed the criminal trial to proceed.
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