Holding

The prosecution failed to prove illegal gratification beyond reasonable doubt, so the trial court's acquittal stands.

Summary

The appellant, T. Subramaniam, an executive officer of a temple, was accused of accepting a bribe of Rs.200 while allegedly facilitating the grant of a patta for temple land. He explained that the money was received on behalf of a third party, PW‑6, as payment of lease‑rent arrears due to the temple, and that the complainants had a motive to frame him. The trial court acquitted him, finding that the prosecution had not proved the three essential ingredients of illegal gratification—demand, delivery, and acceptance—beyond reasonable doubt. The High Court reversed the acquittal, holding that the amount was received as illegal gratification, but failed to consider the appellant's explanation and the possibility of a conspiracy. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that where two plausible interpretations of the evidence exist, the benefit of doubt must go to the accused and the trial court's acquittal should stand. Consequently, the appeal was allowed, the High Court's order set aside, and the appellant was reinstated as acquitted.

Issues considered

Whether the receipt of Rs.200 by the accused constitutes illegal gratification under Sec. 5(1)(d) read with Sec. 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
Whether the prosecution proved the three essential ingredients of illegal gratification—demand, delivery and acceptance—as required under the Act.
Whether the explanation offered by the accused that the money was lease‑rent arrears creates reasonable doubt sufficient to acquit.
Whether the High Court erred in not considering the accused's explanation and in re‑appreciating the evidence.

Legislation cited

Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 161
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947s. 5(1)(d), s. 5(2)

Subjects

Prevention of Corruption Actillegal gratificationburden of proofreasonable doubtlease rent arrearsconspiracyappellate reviewcriminal law

Judgment

A T. SUBRAMANIAM
V.
THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU

JANUARY 4, 2006

B [S.B. SINHA AND R.V. RA VEENDRAN, JJ.]

Ser\!ice law:

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947; Section 5(1 )(d) rlw Section 5(2)/
C Penal Code, 1860; Section 161.-

lllegal gratification ullegedly accepted by un executive officer of a
temple---Complaint ugainst- --Acquilla/ by Trial Court as ingredients uf the
offence alleged not established--Reversed by High Court- -On appeu/, Held:
D The High Court did not consider the explanation given hy the uccused officer
immediately afier being caught accepting bribe that the amount so received
by him was toward~ the arrear of rent due-Nor did it hold the decision of the
trial Court erroneous by re-appreciating evidence to the effect--The evidence
throws out a clear alternative that the accused was falsely implicated at the
instance of the complainant and others---Since two views possible from the
E very same evidence, it cannot be said that the prosecution had proved beyond
reasonable doubt acceptance of illegal gratification-Under the circumstances,
Trial Court rightly held that the charge against the accused nut proved--
Thus, High Court was nut justified in interfering with the order of the Trial
Court-Hence, order of the Trial Court restored.

F The complainant-PW I along with his friend-PW2, when approached
the appellant-Executive Officer of the Temple for securing patta in his
favour in respect of certain land, the accused allegedly demanded bribe
from him. The complainant paid part of the sum demanded to the
appellant. In the meantime, he filed a complaint against the officer for
G demanding bribe. Officers of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department,
with the help of Police, caught the appellant red-handed, accepting bribe
from PW2 on behalf of the complainant. Trial Court held that the accused
employee had given a satisfactory explanation for receiving the amount
in question towards lease rent arrears due from him and also the
prosecution had failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt three essential
H 180
T. SUBRAMANIAM r. THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU 181
) ingredients of illegal gratification, namely, the demand, delivery and A
acceptance of the amount as illegal gratification against the accused and
acquitted him. On appeal, the High Court reversed the order of the trial
Court and convicted the accused under Section 5(1 )(d) r/w Section 5(2)
of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Hence the present appeal.

Allowing the appeal, the Court B

HELD. 1.1. Mere receipt of a sum of Rs.200/- by the accused-
appellant from PW-I would not be sufficient to fasten guilt under Section
5(1)(a) or Section 5(l)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, in the
absence of any evidence of demand and acceptance of the amount as illegal C
gratification by him. If the amount in question had been paid as lease rent
arrears due to the temple or even if it was not so paid, but the appellant
was made to believe that the payD)ent .was towards lease rent due to the
temple, he cannot be said to have committed any offence. If the reason
for receiving the amount is explained and the explanation is probable and
reasonable, then the appellant had to be acquitted, as rightly done by the D
Special Court. 1185-G-H; 186-A 1

Punjabrao v. State of Maharashtra, 120021 to SCC 371; Chaturdas
Bhagwandas Patel v. The State of Gujarat, AIR (1976) SC 1497 and State
through Inspector of Police, Andhra Pradesh v. K. Narasimhachary, (2005)
8 SCALE 2669, relied on. E
1.2. The High Court did not consider the explanation offered by the
appellant for the receipt of the money and the previous enmity harboured
by PW-I, PW-2 and PW-6 towards him. Nor did it hold that the decision
of the trial Court was erroneous or perverse. High Court by re-
apprei:iating the very evidence on which the Trial Court had reached the F
conclusion that the payment was not by way of an illegal gratification but
was towards lease rent due by PW-6 and paid through PW-I, and relying
on the evidence of PW-I, PW-2 and PW-6, it concluded that the payment
was by way of illegal gratification. in particular, it relied on the denial by
PW-6 that he had sent any amount through PW-I, against the appellant. G
But the mere denial by PW-6 cannot be a ground to hold the appellant
guilty. If PWs.l, 2 and 6 had hatched a conspiracy to involve the appellant
in a criminal case, naturally PW-6 would deny having sent the amount
through PW-I. The explanation given by the appellant immediately after
the incident clearly explains all the circumstances and raises not only a
H
182 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006 I I S. C.R.

A reasonable but very serious doubt about the amount having been received '
by him as illegal gratification. The evidence throws out a clear alternative
that the accused was falsely implicated at the instance of PWs. I, 2 and 6.
f 187-C-D-E-F(

1.3. If two views were possible from the very same evidence, it cannot
B be said that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the
appellant had received the sum of Rs. 200/- as illegal gratification. Hence,
the trial court was right in holding that the charge against the appellant
was not proved and the High Court was not justified in interfering with
the same. f 188-F-Hf
c CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal No. 186
of 2000.

From the Judgment and Order dated 8.10.1999 of the High Court of
Madras in C.A. No. 627 of 1992.

D M.A. Krishnamoorthy and M.A. Chinnasamy for the Appellant.

Abhay Kumar and Subramonium Prasad for the State of Tamil Nadu.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

_E RA VEEN ORAN, J. This appeal by the accused is against the judgment
dated 8.10.1999 of the Madras High Court in C.A. No.627of1992, convicting
him under Section 5( I )(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1947 (for short 'the Act'). By the said judgment, the High
Court reversed the judgment dated 29.7.1991 passed by the Special Judge,
Thanjavur District at Kumbakonam in Special Case No.2/1988 acquitting the
F accused.

2. The case of the prosecution was as follows

(2.1.) The appellant was working as the Executive Officer of Sri
Swarnathaneswar Temple, Chithaimoor, Tamil Nadu from September.
G 1985.

(2.2.) That one Shivashanmugam (PW- I) was in occupation of six
cents of temple land (situated behind his house). PW-I approached
the appellant in June, 1987 for securing a patta in his favour in
respect of the said land. The appellant told him to apply to the
H concerned authorities, namely, the Deputy Commissioner and the
T. SUBRAMANIAM v. HIE STATE OF TAMIL NADU [RAVEENDRAN, J] 183
J Assistant Commissioner (Endowments) and that he would help him A
in securing the patta. On 2.7.1987, the appellant sent word to PW-I
to meet him. PW- I along with his friend (PW-2) went and met the
appellant. The appellant then demanded Rs.450 to help PW-I.
Subsequently, the appellant reduced the demand to Rs.300 and
enquired as to how much money he was having. PW- I stated that he
was having Rs. I00/- and paid the said sum of Rs. I00/- to the appellant. B
The appellant told PW-I that only if he (PW-I) paid the balance
amount, he would make arrangements for transfer of patta. He
reiterated the demand on 9.7.1997 when PW-I and PW-2 again met
him and paid Rs.250/- towards lease arrears due by PW- I.

(2.3.) As PW-I was not willing to pay the bribe, he gave a complaint
c
(Ex. P-1) to the Inspector-Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Thanjavoor
(PW-13) on 10.7.1987. At that time, PW-2 accompanied PW-I. PW-
13 prepared the FIR (Ex.P-20). Thereafter, PW-13 introduced the
complainant to two witnesses, namely, Kulandaivelu (PW-3), an
Engineer, and Santhanagopalan, a Clerk. PW- I handed-over D
Rs.200/- (that in 4 currency notes of Rs.50 each) to PW-13. Their
numbers were noted and after explaining the procedure, the currency
notes were coated with a chemical and returned to PW-I. Thereafter,
PW-I, PW-2 and PW-3 were instructed as to how they should act
when they went to meet the appellant.
E
(2.4.) Thereafter, PW- I, PW-2, PW-3, PW-I 3, the Deputy
Superintendent of Police and Santhanagopalan went to Chithamoor.
They reached at about 8.15 p.m., parked the vehicles near the temple
and PWs. I to 3 were sent inside. PW-I and PW-2 went inside and
PW-3 stood near the door. PW-I stated that he had brought Rs.200/
- demanded by the appellant and gave the chemicaily treated currency F
notes to him. On receiving the same. the appellant stated that he has
received PW-I's petition and he would finish the work. PW-2, who
accompanied PW-I, also requested the appellant to do the needful.
Then they came out and gave the agreed signal. The Inspector of
Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police, who were standing outside G
came inside. On the appellant being identified by PW-I, he was asked
whether he had received the amount. The appellant was holding the
amount in his right hand. shifted it to his left hand and thereafter kept
it on the table. Necessary chemical test was conducted and the amount
was recovered. On query from the Inspector, the accused explained H
184 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] I S.C.R.

A that PW-I had paid the amount as due by Thyagarajan (PW-6) to the
temple by way of lease arrears. Mahazar. sketch and search list were
drawn up.

3. On behalf of the prosecution, 13 witnesses were examined in Ex. P-
l to P-21 marked, apart from MO I to 3. On behalf of the defence, DW-1
B and DW-2 were examined and Ex. D-1 to D-10 were exhibited.

4. The case of the defence was as follows :

(4.1.) On 10.7.1987, PW-I came along with PW-2 and stated that one
Thyagarajan (PW-6) who was due in lease amount to the temple, had
C requested him (PW- I) to hand-over Rs.200 towards his lease rent
arrears. The complainant received it and offered to give the receipt.
But PW-I told that Thyagarajan would himself come and collect the
receipt the next day. He offered the said explanation when the Police
Inspector sought his explanation immediately after the incident.

D (4.2.) According to the appellant, the complaint by PW-I and the
subsequent trap was an act of vengeance by PW- I (in connivance
with PW-2 and PW-6) in view of their nurturing enmity towards him.
First reason for the enmity was the dismissal of one Dhanapal,
PW-1 's cousin, who was an employee of the temple on account of
certain misconduct committed by him, (vide Ex. D-7 dated 16.1.1986)
E
in pursuance of action taken by the appellant. Eversince then, PW-I
and PW-2 were nurturing a grudge against the appellant, thinking
that he was responsible for the dismissal of Dhanpal. The second
reason is that PWs. I, 2 and 6 had committed trespass/encroachment
on the temple land and the appellant as the Executive Officer had
F filed a case being O.S. No.309/87 and obtained an order of injunction
against them. As their attempts to i!legally occupy the temple land
were frustrated by the appellant, in order to wreak vengeance, the trio
had hatched a conspiracy to involve him in a criminal case. The
enmity is also proved by the complaints (Ex. D-6 dated 3.10.1985
and Ex. D-1 dated 18.10.1985) which had been given by PWs. I. 2
G and 6 against the appellant to the Deputy Commissioner. Religious &
Charitable Endowments, and to the Revenue Tehsildar. Mannargudi.
-"\
with a demand to transfer the appellant.

5. The Special Judge considered the evidence in detail. He held that the
H appellant had given a reasonable and satisfactory explanation for receiving
T. SUBRAMANIAM 1·. THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU [RAVEENDRAN. J] 185
)
Rs.200 from PW- I in the presence of PW-2, by stating that the amount had A
been tendered by PW-I as having been sent by PW-6 towards his lease rent
arrears. He also held that the prosecution had failed to establish beyond
reasonable doubt the three essential ingredients, namely, the demand, delivery
and acceptance of the sum of Rs.200/- by the appellant as illegal gratification.
Consequently, by judgment dated 13.7.1991 the appellant was acquitted.
B
6. The State preferred an appeal. The High Court allowed the appeal by
~.
its judgment dated 8.10.1999. The High Court held : (a) that the prosecution
had proved that the accused has received the sum of Rs.200 (MO- I series)
from PW-I; (b) that the evidence of PWs.I, 2, 3 and 13 established that the
said amount was received as illegal gratification in connection with grant of
patta in favour of PW-I in respect of 6 guntas of temple land; and though the
c
appellant was not authorized to grant patta, he had to initiate a note
recommending the grant as the Executive Officer of the temple and, therefore,
there was a reason for the demand, and acceptance was established; (c) the
-,-· defence case that PW-6 had sent the said amount through PW-I towards
' lease rent cannot be accepted in view of PW-6 in his evidence denying that D
he had sent any lease rent through PW-I, though he admitted that at that time
he was in arrears of lease rent in a sum of Rs.200/- to Rs.500/-.

Consequently, the High Court convicted the appellant under Section
5(l)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Act. As the appellant alleged that he
was already 67 years of age, and had retired nearly 9 years ago, that he had E
a daughter of marriageable age, that he did not own any property and was
residing in a rented house and that he and his wife were not keeping good
,. ).
health, the High Court took a lenient view and awarded the sentence of
imprisonment till the rising of the court and payment of Rs.1000/- as fine;
and in default to undergo RI for one month. As the accused was present in F
court, he underwent the sentence also. The said conviction and sentence is
challenged by the appellant in this appeal.

7. Mere receipt of Rs.200/- by the appellant from PW- I on I0.7.1987
(admitted by the appellant) will not be sufficient to fasten guilt under Section
5( I )(a) or Section 5( I )(d) of the Act, in the absence of any evidence of G
demand and acceptance of the amount as illegal gratification. If the amount
_,,....
had been paid as lease rent arrears due to the temple or even if it was not so

. paid, but the accused was made to believe that the payment was towards
lease rent due to the temple, he cannot be said to have committed any offence.
I
If the reason for receiving the amount is explained and the explanation is
H
186 SUPREME COURT REPORTS 12006) I S.C.R.

A probable and reasonable, then the appellant had to be acquitted, as rightly
done by the Special Court. In Punjabrao v. State of Maharashtra, (2002] 10
SCC 371, the accused, a patwari. was on a campaign to collect loan amounts
due to Government. The complainant therein was admittedly a debtor to the
Government. The accused explained that the amount in question was received
B towards loan. This Court accepted such explanation (though such explanation
was not immediately offered as in this case, but was given only in the statement
under Section 313) holding thus :-
. ~

"It is too well 'Settled that in a case where the accused offers an
explanation for receipt of the alleged amount, the question that arises
for consideration is whether that explanation can be said to have been
c established. It is further clear that the accused is not required to
establish his defence by proving beyond reasonable doubt as the
prosecution, but can establish the same by preponderance of
probability."

D In Chaturdas Bhagwandas Patel v. The Stare of Gujarar, AIR (1976)
SC 1497, this Court held that the burden that rests on an accused to displace
the statutory presumption that is raised under Section 4( I) of the Act, is not
onerous as that cast on the prosecution to prove its case. But such burden has
to be discharged, by bringing on record evidence. either direct or
circumstantial, to establish with reasonable probability, that the money was
E accepted by him, other than as a motive or reward as is referred to in Section
161 IPC.

In State through Inspector of Police, Andhra Pradesh v. K.
Narasimhachary, (2005) 8 SCALE 266, we have reiterated the well recognized
principle that if two views are possible, the appellate court should not interfere
F with the acquittal by the lower court; and that only where the material-on-
record leads to a sole and inescapable conclusion of guilt of the accused, the
judgment of acquittal will call for interference by the appellate court.

8. We may briefly refer to the evidence keeping the said principles in
G view. The evidence no doubt established that PW-I accompanied by PW-2
went to PW-13 and gave a complaint, that a trap was arranged. the currency
notes were chemically treated. that PW-I delivered the chemically treated
currency notes (Rs.200/-) to the appellant in the presence of PW-2, that the
appellant received the said amount. that the same was recovered by the raiding
party from the appellant, and that the appellant's hands turned pink when ·-...
H dipped in the chemical solution. The above evidence no doubt proves that a
T. SUBRAMANIAM r. THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU [RAVEENDRAN. J.] 187
)
sum of Rs.200/- was paid by PW-I to the appellant. But the crucial question A
is whether the appellant had demanded the said amount as illegal gratification
to show any official favour to PW- I and whether the said amount was paid
by PW-I and received by the. appellant as consideration for showing such
official favour. The evidence clearly shows the contrary as will be evident
from the following :
B
(a) One Dhanapal, cousin of the complainant- PW-I, was dismissed
-". from service of the temple on 16.1.1986 by an order of dismissal
(Ex. D7) issued by the appellant in his capacity as Executive
Officer of the temple, for misconduCt, on action initiated by the
appellant. This is establlslied by documentary evidence as well
as oral evidence of DW ~2 (one of the trustees of the temple); c
(b) The appellant as Executive Officer of the temple, has taken several
steps to prevent encroachment and collect the arrears due to the
temple. He had initiated legal action against PWs. I, 2 and others
· when they attempted to encroach upon the temple land and,
therefore, they were inimical towards the appellant. This is clear D
from the evidence of DW-2.
(c) PWs. I, 2 and 6 were signatories to the complaints (Ex. D-1 and
D-6) given in year 1985 to the Revenue Officer and to the Deputy
Commissioner of Religious & Charitable Endowment seeking
transfer of the appellant. Thi~ is established by evidence of DW- E
2.
(d) PW-6 was in fact due in a sum of Rs.400 to Rs.500 towards·
,. !- lease rent to the temple (admitted by PW-6). Within 15 minutes
to half an hour of the alleged payment of illegal gratification
(trap), when asked to explain the possession of the said sum, the F
appellant explained that it was paid by PW-I on behalf of PW-
6 towards the arrears of lease rent with a request that the appellant
should issue a receipt to PW-6 the next day.
(e) PW-2 is a close friend and confidante of PW-I and PWs. I, 2 and
6 had a common grievance against the appellant in view of the G
action taken by him to protect the temple land from encroachment.
(t) Neither PW- I nor PW-2 nor PW-3 say that the appellant
demanded any money as illegal gratification on I0. 7.1986. The
evidence is that PW-I went in along with PW-2 and handed over
the sum of Rs.200/- to the appellant saying that he had brought H
188 SliPREME COURT REPORTS 120061 l S.C.R.

A the amount. There is nothing about the payment being made or
received as illegal gratification. On the other hand, DW-1, a
clerk in the temple has stated that on 9.7.1987 at about 11 a.m.,
PW-I came to the temple office and infonned the appellant that
PW-6 had given him money for paying lease rent, that he had
spent the amount and he will come and pay it the next day. This
B shows that the payment on 10.7.1986 was towards the arrears
due by PW-6.

9. The High Court did not consider the explanation offered by the
appellant for the receipt of the money nor the previous enmity harboured by
C PW-1, PW-2 and PW-6 towards the appellant. Nor did it hold that the decision
of the trial court wa_s erroneous or perverse. Re-appreciating the very evidence
(on which the trial court had reached the conclusion that the payment was not
by way of an illegal gratification but was towards lease rent due by PW-6 and
paid through PW-I), the High Court relying on the evidence of PW-I, PW-
2 and PW-6 concluded that the payment was by way of illegal gratification.
0 In particular, it relied on the denial by PW-6 that he had sent any amount
through PW-1, against the appellant. But the mere denial by PW-6 that he
had sent the money through PW-I cannot be a ground to hold the appellant
guilty. If PWs. I, 2 and 6 had hatched a conspiracy to involve the appellant
in a criminal case, naturally PW-6 would deny having sent the amount through
E PW-1. The explanation given by the appellant immediately after the incident
clearly explains all the circumstances and raises not only a reasonable but
very serious doubt about the amount having been received by him as illegal
gratification.

I0. The evidence throws out a clear alternative that the accused was
F falsely implicated at the instance of PWs. l, 1 and 6. If two views were
possible from the very same evidence, it cannot be said that the prosecution
had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant had received the sum
of Rs. 200/- as illegal gratification. We are, therefore, of the considered view
that the trial court was right in holding that the charge against the appellant
was not proved and the High Court was not justified in interfering with the
G same.
11. We, therefore, allow this appeal, set aside the order of the High
Court and restore the order of the trial court. acquitting the appellant of the
charge.

H S.K.S. Appeal allowed.