MP High Court acquits Jabalpur constable Tawal Singh in Lokayukta bribery trap case
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on 23 October 2026 acquitted Tawal Singh, a police constable at Bargi police station, Jabalpur, setting aside his 2005 bribery conviction.
Key points
- The Madhya Pradesh High Court allowed the appeal of a Bargi police station constable and acquitted him in a Lokayukta trap case.
- The court set aside the special court's conviction of 12 January 2005, which had imposed up to two years of rigorous imprisonment.
- The court held the prosecution failed to prove demand and voluntary acceptance of a bribe; his bonds are discharged and his fine is to be refunded.
Tawal Singh, a police constable posted at Bargi police station, Jabalpur, has been acquitted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in a bribery trap case laid by the Lokayukta's Special Police Establishment. In a judgment delivered on 23 October 2026, the court set aside his conviction of 12 January 2005 under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
What Happened
According to the prosecution, as recorded in the judgment, the constable demanded Rs 3,000 to help release a man held in an illicit liquor case on bail, and was caught in a trap with Rs 1,000 in phenolphthalein-coated notes. A Special Judge (Lokayukta) in Jabalpur had convicted him under Section 7 and Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Act and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment of one year and two years, to run concurrently, with fines of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.
On appeal, the High Court held that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he demanded a bribe or voluntarily accepted one. The court noted that the notes were recovered from the ground, not from his person; that he was made to pick up some notes before his hands were tested, which could explain the chemical traces; that no reliable independent witness saw the money change hands; and that the complaint was lodged after an unexplained delay of six days. It held that the legal presumption under Section 20 of the Act applies only after demand and acceptance are first proved.
The court acquitted him, discharged his bonds and ordered that his fine be refunded in accordance with law.
What It Means
The judgment repeats that in a bribery trap case the prosecution must first prove both the demand and the voluntary acceptance of the money; chemical traces on the hands alone are not enough when there is a plausible explanation. These were allegations, not findings of guilt; the accused was presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and the High Court has now acquitted him.
Citizens who face a bribe demand from an official can report it to their state's anti-corruption bureau or Lokayukta. Oquilia's guide lists every state's helpline: https://www.oquilia.com/report-a-bribe
Source: High Court judgment
Sources & Citations
- High Court judgment — Madhya Pradesh High Court