Raipur, September 25 — The Chhattisgarh High Court acquitted 83-year-old Jageshwar Prasad Awadhiya, a former bill assistant, on September 9 in a bribery case dating back to 1986, overturning a 2004 conviction and ending a nearly four-decade legal ordeal that cost him his job, family and reputation, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
Awadhiya was accused on October 24, 1986, of demanding and accepting a Rs 100 bribe (two Rs 50 notes) from colleague Ashok Kumar Verma to clear pending salary arrears at the Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation‘s Raipur office. Verma filed a Lokayukta complaint, leading to a trap on October 25 where Awadhiya was allegedly caught red-handed, with the notes testing positive for phenolphthalein after a chemical wash. Awadhiya maintained it was a conspiracy, claiming he refused a Rs 20 bribe earlier that day and was framed.
The trial court convicted him on December 9, 2004, under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, sentencing him to one year in prison, but he remained free on bail during appeal. Justice Bibhu Dutta Guru of the High Court acquitted him, citing insufficient evidence of demand or voluntary acceptance, witness contradictions (e.g., on note denominations) and failure to prove corruption beyond recovery of notes alone. The court granted him the benefit of doubt, as reported by LawBeat and ETV Bharat.
From 1988 to 1994, Awadhiya was suspended, then transferred to Rewa with halved salary, stalled promotions and increments. Financial strain affected his four children’s education, unpaid fees leading to dropouts, while societal stigma labeled his family as corrupt. His wife died under stress, and post-retirement, his pension was withheld. To survive, he worked as a watchman and odd jobs, with court appearances consuming his life. “I was known for honesty… but everything was destroyed,” he said in interviews shared on X.
Awadhiya now seeks his pending pension, back wages and financial aid to repair his home, stating he lacks strength for another case. The acquittal highlights judicial delays, with X users decrying “justice delayed is justice denied” and contrasting it to expedited high-profile cases. No government response on compensation was available at the time of reporting.
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Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an Indian journalist and online editor at The Chenab Times. Based in Thathri, Doda, he reports on regional affairs, civic governance, and human-interest stories across Jammu and Kashmir. Rihat also maintains a personal website, tahirrihat.com, where he shares professional updates and reflections on journalism in the Chenab Valley.
