Ex-Government Employee Cleared After 19-Year Bribery Case

A Thane special court acquitted a former government clerk in an 800-rupee bribery case due to lack of evidence. The prosecution failed to prove the demand for money despite recovery of marked notes, which led to the acquittal after 19 years.

A special court in Thane has cleared a former central government clerk of bribery charges after 19 years. The court ruled the prosecution failed to adequately demonstrate the accused's demand for an 800-rupee bribe, despite recovering marked currency notes.

The case involved Arvind Motiram Sawant, a former employee at the Registrar of Companies office in Navi Mumbai. Allegedly, he sought a bribe to expedite document certification. However, the defense showed he lacked the authority to finalize such requests and could not have bypassed standard procedures. The judge highlighted that recovery of marked money alone is insufficient for a conviction without concrete demand evidence.