Himachal Pradesh High Court Acquits Accused, Holds Mere Recovery of Money Not Proof of Bribery

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has acquitted an accused in a bribery case, ruling that the mere recovery of tainted currency from a person is not conclusive proof of guilt.

The court noted that for a conviction, the prosecution must prove both demand and acceptance of a bribe as illegal gratification.

In this case, the prosecution's evidence failed to show that the accused demanded or received money, failing to create a reasonable doubt in the mind of the Court.

The court reinforces the legal principle that possession alone, without proof of demand, is inadequate for a conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

[State of H.P. v Hari Saran]