Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 29: The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that the mere recovery of tainted currency notes cannot by itself justify a conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), unless the demand and acceptance of illegal gratification are proven beyond reasonable doubt.

A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Joymalya Bagchi made the observation while restoring the acquittal of P. Somaraju, a former Assistant Commissioner of Labour, who was convicted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in a 1997 bribery case.

The top court criticised the High Court for overturning the trial court’s acquittal “without engaging with its detailed reasoning” and for substituting its own conclusions “without addressing the evidentiary gaps.”

“The s

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