Rangasamy v. Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption – CA APPEAL NO: 292/2009-2011

In the case between Kurusuththu Arokyanadar (Accused – Appellant) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (Respondent), the court addressed whether the appellant solicited and/or accepted a bribe of Rs.3000/-, contrary to Section 19(b) and 19(c) of the Bribery Act, and whether the trial court’s findings were affected by contradictions in prosecution evidence and errors in the charge sheet. It was held that inconsistencies among prosecution witnesses and the absence of corroborative evidence on crucial matters raised reasonable doubt, making the convictions unsustainable. The principle reaffirmed is that material contradictions and unreliable evidence in bribery prosecutions require the benefit of the doubt to be given to the accused. The judgment emphasized