A CBI special court in Jaipur has sentenced a former Western Central Railways official to five years of rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case, even as the Delhi High Court, in a separate matter, acquitted two engineers in a decades-old corruption prosecution after finding serious gaps in the evidence and extending them the benefit of doubt.
Railway Official Convicted in 2020 Bribery Trap
The Jaipur court sentenced Jalandhar Yogi, former Chief Office Superintendent of the Western Central Railways in Gangapur City, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 on April 7, 2026.
The case had been registered on June 16, 2020 after allegations that Yogi demanded a bribe of Rs. 11,500 to clear a pending final bill for completed work. The CBI laid a trap and apprehended him while he was accepting Rs. 10,000 as part of the bribe from the complainant. The money was later recovered from his possession, and the agency filed a charge sheet against him on January 8, 2021. Following trial, the court convicted him and handed down the sentence.
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Delhi High Court Acquits Two Engineers
In a separate ruling dated April 5, 2026, the Delhi High Court acquitted two engineers accused of demanding a bribe of Rs. 1,800, bringing to an end a legal battle lasting 34 years. The court held that the prosecution had failed to prove the essential element of an illegal gratification demand.
The case dated back to September 20, 1991, when Assistant Engineer VK Datta and Junior Engineer Dinesh Garg were accused of demanding Rs. 1,800 and Rs. 900 respectively to facilitate the release of alleged pending bills. The CBI arrested both officials after laying a trap, and they were convicted by a trial court in 2002. The High Court, however, later found significant inconsistencies and weaknesses in the prosecution case.
Court Finds Evidence Inadequate to Sustain Conviction
The defence counsel argued that contradictions in witness testimonies, procedural lapses and the absence of reliable evidence undermined the prosecution. The court noted that official muster rolls showed both accused were present at a work site when the alleged demand was said to have taken place, casting doubt on the prosecution version.
It further recorded that a departmental witness stated no payment was due to the contractor at the relevant time, weakening any motive for bribery. The court also pointed to timeline inconsistencies, including the simultaneous registration of the FIR and the complainant’s arrival at the CBI office, as affecting the prosecution’s credibility. Crucial witnesses, including the contractor involved in the financial transactions, were not examined, and inconsistent accounts regarding recovery of the alleged bribe further weakened the case.
Reaffirming settled legal principles, the High Court held that recovery of money alone is not enough to uphold a corruption conviction without clear proof of demand for illegal gratification. It said suspicion cannot substitute proof beyond reasonable doubt, set aside the 2002 conviction, and acquitted VK Datta and Dinesh Garg of all charges.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
