Delhi HC acquits ex-Ministry Desk Officer in 37-year bribery case
The Delhi High Court has acquitted Ravinder Kumar Chopra, a former Desk Officer in the Ministry of Industries, in a 37-year-old corruption case, holding that the prosecution failed to establish the foundational facts of demand and acceptance of illegal gratification beyond reasonable doubt. The ruling, delivered by a single-judge Bench of Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha, sets aside a 2002 conviction and five-year rigorous imprisonment sentence awarded by the trial court.
Background of the Case
According to the prosecution, Chopra, then posted as Desk Officer at Udyog Bhawan, allegedly demanded ₹50,000 in June 1989 from the director of a Bengaluru-based company seeking a 100% export-oriented unit licence for the manufacture of cut and polished granites. It was alleged that ₹10,000 was subsequently paid through intermediary A.S.M. Swamy during a trap laid by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The trial court had convicted Chopra under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, sentencing him to five years' rigorous imprisonment along with fines. Co-accused Swamy, who had filed a separate appeal, died during the pendency of proceedings in 2020.
Key Inconsistencies the Court Found
The Delhi High Court identified multiple contradictions in the prosecution's case. Notably, the court observed a critical timeline anomaly: while the complainant claimed he reached the CBI office at around 11 am and then submitted a written complaint, the FIR had been registered at 10.30 am. Justice Sudha pointedly asked,
