Extremely speedy action by probe agency can create doubt: SC
The Supreme Court acquitted a public servant in a two-decade-old bribery case, criticizing the CBI's "extremely speedy" action in laying a trap within hours of a complaint. The court stated that such haste could raise suspicion and that the CBI failed to prove the bribe money, accepted by an intermediary, was intended for the accused. The ruling emphasizes that criminal liability requires clear evidence that the intermediary acted under the accused's authority.
Why it matters
This ruling sets a precedent for how investigative agencies like the CBI must conduct their operations, highlighting the importance of thorough verification and evidence gathering over speed. It reinforces legal protections for public servants against potentially flawed investigations and ensures due process in corruption cases.
New Delhi: The speed at which CBI sprang into action on a bribery complaint and laid a trap within hours to catch a public servant could give rise to suspicion, which, Supreme Court said, could not be brushed aside and had to be examined.Finding fault with CBI's investigation, Justices Dipankar Datta and N K Singh acquitted the official in a two-decade-old case as he was not caught with the bribe money. It was an intermediary who accepted it and CBI failed to prove it was meant for the accused, SC said.The complaint made in 2005 alleged that the accused, working as a divisional security commissioner in Railway Protection Force, had demanded illegal gratification from subordinate officials for transfers and postings.
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