Govt official accused of graft claims bribe was thrust into his pocket

S. Shyam Prasad | NT

Bengaluru: To a claim by a government officer that the alleged bribe money was forcibly thrust into his pocket, the High Court said, “Whether the amount was thrusted or it was voluntarily accepted by the petitioner is required to be considered during the course of trial.”

The court however granted him bail and released him from 1.5 months of custody on grounds that the entire case was based on documentary evidence and there was no need for him to be in custody during trial. S Manju, an Inspector at the District Registrar Office, Maidkeri, Kodagu district had approached the HC.

He has a case pending against him by the Karnataka Lokayuktha under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegation he faces is that he demanded a Rs.10,000 bribe for the registration of a Co-operative Society. He later scaled it down to Rs.9,000.

Unwilling to pay it, the Society complained to the Lokayuktha and a trap was laid for him. In the toilet of the District Registrar Office, he collected Rs.8,000 in cash and was arrested on the spot. Seeking bail in the HC, he claimed the money was thrust upon him and forced into his pocket to trap him.

While the HC rejected this argument for granting bail, it considered the fact that only the formalities of the investigation are to be completed. “It is a fact that the amount was recovered from the custody of the present petitioner and it is for him to explain that under the circumstances, he received the amount.

In the instant case the recovery itself is a material aspect and now only the formalities regarding chemical examination report and sanction are to be obtained,” Justice Rajendra Badamikar noted. Granting him bail, the HC said, “The petitioner is a public servant.

The entire case is based on documentary evidence. The petitioner is in custody for nearly 1.5 months. No purpose will be served by keeping him in custody"