State (VACB) vs A. Soman — CC No.14/2004 (Rs 1,000 bribe to absolve complainant of criminal liability)
The Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram convicted Pathanapuram head constable A. Soman in CC 14/2004 on 31-12-2007 for demanding Rs 500 and then Rs 1,000 from complainant [name withheld] on 06-08-2002 as illegal gratification to absolve her of criminal liability, accepting Rs 1,000 in a VACB trap at the police station on 10-08-2002. The court imposed three years RI with Rs 5,000 fine under s.13 and two years RI under s.7 PC Act. The Kerala High Court (Justice P. Ubaid, Crl.A.104/2008, 14-03-2016) confirmed the conviction and reduced the jail terms to the statutory minimum of one year and six months simple imprisonment.
This page documents a trial-court conviction from the cited sources below. It is not a High Court or Supreme Court finding; the conviction may have been appealed. Findings are attributed to the convicting court; this record does not add findings of its own.
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By judgment dated 14 March 2016, the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram convicted the A. Soman (Head Constable HCQ 3565 (retired)).
- Register number
- KL 02 CW 0008
- Case reference
- Crl.A.No.104 of 2008; trial C.C.No.14/2004 (Enquiry Commissioner & Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram); reported in the judgment of the Kerala High Court
- Court and date
- The Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram, 14 March 2016
- Officer(s) at the material time
- A. Soman (Head Constable HCQ 3565 (retired))
- Present service status
- Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked
- Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
- Finding of the Court (extract)
- “Subject to this modification, the conviction can be confirmed in appeal... The conviction made by the court below against the appellant under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the P.C. Act is confirmed.”
- Verdict, sentence and quantum
- Conviction recorded by the trial court. Sentence: Trial: 3 years RI + Rs 5,000 fine (s.13); 2 years RI (s.7). On appeal: reduced to 1 year SI (s.13) and 6 months SI (s.7); fine maintained, default reduced to 3 months SI
- Present status of the proceedings
- The conviction was affirmed in appeal.
Compiled from the judgment and the cited sources. Findings are those of the court; this card adds none of its own.
Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram convicted the accused police personnel on 14 March 2016. The conviction was upheld on appeal. Appeal text.
Sentence & charges
Sentence: Trial: 3 years RI + Rs 5,000 fine (s.13); 2 years RI (s.7). On appeal: reduced to 1 year SI (s.13) and 6 months SI (s.7); fine maintained, default reduced to 3 months SI.
Sections: PC Act 1988 s.7; PC Act 1988 s.13(1)(d) r/w s.13(2)
Appeal status
Upheld on appeal. Appeal text