Overview
- The Supreme Court, which decided the case on Wednesday, set aside the trial and high‑court convictions and acquitted a Talati‑cum‑Mantri and a peon who had been fighting charges since 1996.
- The bench found the prosecution failed to prove an initial demand for ₹120 and said mere recovery of a marked ₹20 note from the peon could not sustain a bribery conviction.
- The court flagged key factual doubts: the student gave only ₹20 after receiving the certificate, the peon admitted he did not demand money, and the complainant gave inconsistent statements about the alleged sums.
- Judges also held the sanction to prosecute the Talati was invalid because it was issued by an officer who lacked power to grant it, which undercut the legal basis for the case.
- The ruling underscores limits on using Section 20 presumptions and on marked‑note trap evidence, and it could prompt tighter proof and sanction checks in future anti‑corruption investigations.