Circumstantial Evidence OK To Convict Public Servant For Corruption: Court
NDTV
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice SA Nazeer said complainants as well as the prosecution should make sincere efforts so that corrupt public servants are brought to book and convicted so that the administration and governance become unpolluted and free from corruption.
The Supreme Court today said a public servant can be convicted for illegal gratification in a corruption case on the basis of circumstantial evidence when there is no direct oral or documentary evidence against them.
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice SA Nazeer said complainants as well as the prosecution should make sincere efforts so that corrupt public servants are brought to book and convicted so that the administration and governance become unpolluted and free from corruption.
"In the absence of evidence of complainant (direct or primary), it is permissible to draw an inferential deduction of culpability," the bench, also comprising justices BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian and BV Nagarathna, said.
The top court said that even if direct evidence of the complainant is not available, owing to death or other reasons, there can be conviction of the public servant under the relevant provisions.
