Chhattisgarh High Court acquits health directorate clerk Prakash Jaiswal in ACB bribery case

The Chhattisgarh High Court on 28 October 2026 acquitted Prakash Jaiswal, then Assistant Grade-II at the Directorate of Health Services, Chhattisgarh, Raipur, in a 2009 bribery trap case brought by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Raipur. The court set aside his conviction and sentence, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove that he demanded a bribe.

What Happened

A special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Raipur had convicted the clerk on 18 October 2016 under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Act, and sentenced him to one year's rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5,000.

According to the prosecution, as recorded in the judgment, the clerk had sought money to process a health worker's leave settlement, and an ACB trap party recovered Rs 5,000 in marked notes from him on 4 August 2009. He denied any demand and said he had been falsely implicated.

The High Court found that the complaint was not verified before the trap, that the prosecution did not prove the voice on the tape recording was the clerk's, and that the complainant said he had not met the clerk before the transaction. Relying on Supreme Court rulings, the court held that mere acceptance and recovery of money is not enough to convict without proof of a demand. Giving him the benefit of doubt, it allowed the appeal. His bail bond stays in force for six months under Section 481 of the BNSS, 2023.

The charges were allegations that the court has now found not proved; an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and due process continues.

What It Means

The ruling restates a settled rule: in a bribery case, the prosecution must prove that the public servant demanded the money, not just that marked notes were found on them. For investigating agencies, it underlines the need to verify complaints and prove recordings properly before a trap.

Citizens who face a bribe demand from an official can still report it to their state's anti-corruption bureau; Oquilia's guide to every state's helpline is at https://www.oquilia.com/report-a-bribe.

Source: High Court judgment