- The man was acquitted by Madhya Pradesh High Court after a 32-year legal battle
- The case began in 1983 due to a clerical lapse in recording a Rs 3,596 deposit
- The High Court ruled the act was a disciplinary lapse, not a criminal offence
After a legal battle spanning more than three decades, postmaster Mankaram from Betul has finally been acquitted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in a 32-year-old case that began with a minor clerical lapse.
The case dates back to 1983, when an inspection revealed that Mankaram had failed to record a deposit of Rs 3,596 in the branch register. However, the amount had been properly deposited in the government treasury and also reflected in the account holder's passbook.
Despite the absence of any financial misconduct, the error was treated as criminal embezzlement. In 1993, a trial court convicted Mankaram under Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), sentencing him to imprisonment "till the rising of the court" and imposing a fine of Rs 3,000.
Mankaram appealed the decision, but the sessions court upheld the conviction. Refusing to give up, he moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court in search of justice-a process that took 32 years to yield results.
Finally, Justice MS Bhatti of the High Court overturned the lower court's ruling and acquitted Mankaram, stating clearly that the act amounted only to a disciplinary lapse, not a criminal offense. The judge emphasized that lower courts must assess whether an act was committed with criminal intent before delivering such judgments.
