A case that has raised eyebrows reached the Supreme Court . While hearing a bribery matter involving a woman officer from Bihar, the prosecution was met with an unusual defence that the bribe money had been destroyed by rats.

Reacting sharply, the top court expressed surprise at the claim, stayed the conviction and granted bail to the accused.

The case involves Aruna Kumari, who served as a Child Development Programme Officer (CDPO) in Bihar. She was accused of demanding a Rs.10,000 bribe and was charged under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

In the beginning, the trial court acquitted Aruna Kumari. However, the Patna High Court later set-aside the acquittal and restored the conviction. The High Court awarded her a four-year sentence under one section and three years under another.

The High Court also accepted the explanation that the seized bribe notes could not be produced in court because they were allegedly “destroyed by rats.”

At the same time, it noted that the Malakhana register recorded the deposit of the seized amount. On that basis, the High Court held that the non-production of the physical currency notes did not automatically weaken the prosecution case.

The bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan reacted strongly during the proceedings.

The Court further indicated that the claim calls for deeper scrutiny and that the issue deserves a more thorough investigation.

Taking into account the circumstances, the Supreme Court stayed Aruna Kumari’s sentence for now and ordered her release on bail. The Court observed that the matter will be examined in detail at the final stage of hearing.

Beyond the corruption allegations, the case has also brought into focus concerns about evidence handling and the functioning of police and administrative systems.

The next Supreme Court hearing will be closely watched.

Source: Lawchakra