Bribe of Rs 600 proved costly!
Corruption is ingrained in the government system like termites, but when the hammer of law strikes, all influence and position are left in tatters. Patna High Court has recently given a decision which is a warning to every government employee who demands bribe in the name of ‘tea-water’ from the general public in return for their work. The case was of bribe of only Rs 600, but for this an Income Tax employee will now have to go to jail.
The court of Justice Alok Kumar Pandey made it clear in its decision given on December 22, 2025 that if the allegations of bribery are proved through the CBI sting operation and the statements of witnesses, then the culprit will not be spared.
Demand of Rs 600 for refund of Rs 5 thousand
This whole matter is not of today, but is 14 years old. The story begins on March 16, 2011, when Mr. Kumar, a common man working as a field worker in Sahara India, approached the CBI (Patna). Kumar’s total earnings that year were Rs 50,905, out of which Rs 5,826 were deducted as tax. To get a refund of his hard-earned money, he filed his income tax return as per the rules.
But when he reached the Income Tax Office in Sasaram for the refund, a tax assistant posted there demanded a bribe of Rs 600 in exchange for forwarding the file. Instead of giving in to the system, Mr Kumar decided to fight and lodged a written complaint directly with the Superintendent of Police, CBI.
net made of powder on notes
When the complaint was found to be true, the CBI laid a trap. It was like a scene from a movie. CBI applied a special chemical powder called ‘phenolphthalein’ on the notes. As soon as the tax employee took the bribe notes in his hands on March 17, 2011, the chemical got on his hands.
The CBI team present at the spot caught him red handed. Frightened, the employee threw the money on the ground and pretended to be unaware. But science does not lie. When the CBI washed the hands of the accused in sodium carbonate solution, the color of the water immediately turned pink. This was sure proof that he had touched the bribe notes. Kolkata’s forensic expert also confirmed this.
‘It was not my work’ – this argument did not work in the court
After getting the punishment from the lower court, the accused employee filed an appeal in the Patna High Court. It was argued on behalf of the defense that the accused was not on duty in the ward (Ward-1) where this case took place, hence he has nothing to do with this case. He also claimed that there were contradictions in the statements of witnesses.
However, the High Court rejected these arguments outright. The Court, in its analysis, found that the Income Tax Officer (Witness No. 3) had clearly stated that the accused was responsible for the bills and dispatches of Ward 1 and 2. Apart from this, the data entry operator present there had also seen the entire incident with his own eyes and testified.
The court gave this decision
Citing Section 20 of the ‘Prevention of Corruption Act’, the Patna High Court said that once it is proved that money has been recovered from the accused, the onus is on the accused to prove that the money was not a bribe. In this case the accused failed to present any concrete evidence.
The court said that the prosecution has proved beyond any doubt that a public servant misused his position. Ultimately the court rejected the appeal of the accused and ordered him to surrender immediately and complete the remaining one year of his jail sentence.