After 39 Years, Chhattisgarh High Court Acquits Man In Rs 100 Bribery Case

The Chhattisgarh High Court has delivered a landmark verdict, underscoring the principle that justice may be delayed, but it is never denied.

After 39 years of legal battle, Jageshwar Prasad Awasthi, a former billing assistant at the Madhya Pradesh State Transport Corporation, has been acquitted in a bribery case involving just Rs 100.

In 2004, a lower court had sentenced him to one year in prison for allegedly demanding the bribe, but Justice Bibhu Dutta Guru of the High Court has now completely overturned that judgment, citing a lack of concrete evidence.

The case dates back to 1986, when it was alleged that Mr Awasthi sought a Rs 100 bribe from employee Ashok Kumar Verma to settle arrears. Acting on a complaint, the then Lokayukta organised a trap, using phenolphthalein-coated currency notes. Although Mr Awasthi was caught with the notes, the High Court found serious gaps in the prosecution's case.

There was no independent witness to prove the demand for money; the shadow witness admitted he neither heard the conversation nor saw the acceptance; government witnesses stood 20-25 yards away, making it impossible to observe the transaction; and crucially, it was not even clear whether the seized bribe consisted of a single Rs 100 note or two Rs 50 notes.

Mr Awasthi further argued that at the time of the alleged incident, he had no authority to pass bills and only acquired such powers a month later. The court agreed that mere recovery of tainted notes cannot establish guilt without proof of intent and demand. Citing several Supreme Court rulings, the judge ruled the trap had failed and the conviction was unsustainable.

After nearly four decades, Jageshwar Prasad Awasthi now stands cleared of all charges, a rare case that highlights both the flaws of prolonged litigation and the resilience of justice.