Business

Retired govt employee arrested for Rs 100 bribe

By Sohail Khan 22 September 2026, 10:32 am

Benchmarks
Nifty23,412.05-2.25

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
22 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Trending›Retired government employee sent to jail for taking Rs 100 bribe at the age of 75; CBI caught him red-handed in 1995, Jharkhand HC convicts him for corruption after 31 years

Read Today's Paper

Retired government employee sent to jail for taking Rs 100 bribe at the age of 75; CBI caught him red-handed in 1995, Jharkhand HC convicts him for corruption after 31 years
Synopsis

A retired railway booking clerk who demanded a Rs 100 bribe in 1995 has had his corruption conviction confirmed by the Jharkhand High Court 31 years later, with the court reducing his jail term to one year considering his age of 75 and the long delay in the case.

Listen to this article in summarized format

Loading…
×
×

Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content

New Year Offer 24 Hours Left
Already a member? Sign In

What's Included

Exclusive Stories
Daily ePaper Access
Smart Market Tools
Curated Investment Ideas
Ad-lite Experience
Subscription

Retired government employee who took a Rs 100 bribe sent to jail at the age of 75; CBI caught him in 1995, Jharkhand High Court convicts him for corruption case after 31 years

A retired railway booking clerk who demanded a bribe of Rs 100 back in 1995 will now go to jail at the age of 75, more than three decades after he was caught red handed by the CBI. Jharkhand High Court has confirmed his conviction for corruption, though the court cut down his jail term after weighing his age and the long delay in the case.

The matter goes back to a routine motorcycle booking at Hatia railway station near Ranchi, where the clerk allegedly asked for Rs 100 extra over the legal charge to transport a motorcycle by train. When the customer refused to pay, he went to the CBI instead of giving in, setting off a chain of events that has taken 31 years to reach its conclusion.

What did the booking clerk actually do

The man had gone to book his motorcycle for transport from Hatia to Samastipur through the Maurya Express. The legal charge for this was Rs 203. According to the complaint, the clerk told him he would only book the vehicle if he was paid Rs 100 more, over and above this fee. Unwilling to pay a bribe, the man walked into the CBI office in Ranchi and gave a written complaint the very next day.

How did the CBI catch him red handed

CBI officials set up a trap using two independent witnesses from a coal company. A currency note was treated with phenolphthalein powder, a chemical that turns a sodium carbonate solution pink the moment it touches skin. The complainant went to the booking office with one of the witnesses, paid the booking charge, and then handed over the tainted Rs 100 note when the clerk demanded it. As soon as the signal was given, CBI officers walked in, and when the clerk's hand was dipped in the solution, it turned pink, confirming he had touched the bribe money.

You Might Also Like:

Train reached destination 9 hrs late; passenger gets Rs 35,000 from Railways without proving any financial loss

What did the accused argue in his defence

The clerk denied ever demanding or accepting a bribe. His lawyers argued that the independent witnesses gave slightly different versions of events, that a cancelled train ticket worth Rs 112 was never seized as evidence, and that the complainant was not even the registered owner of the motorcycle at the time. They also pointed out that no CBI officer had personally verified the complaint before the trap was laid.

Jharkhand High Court rejected all of these arguments. The bench said the clerk himself had prepared and issued the booking receipt, which showed he was satisfied the paperwork was in order, and he never explained why he needed Rs 100 more than the fixed charge. The court noted that any amount collected by a public servant beyond the legal fee amounts to a bribe, regardless of what word is used to describe it.

Why did the court reduce his sentence

While upholding the conviction, the court took a lenient view on the punishment. The clerk is now 75 years old and suffering from age related illness. The case took nine years to reach a verdict at the trial court and then more than two decades to be decided in appeal. He has also already lost his government job and paid the fine imposed on him. The court said the sentence awarded by the trial court was too harsh given these circumstances and reduced it to the minimum term the law allows.

You Might Also Like:

Finance company sent recovery agents at midnight to seize vehicle, sells without giving notice; Supreme Court orders Cholamandalam Finance to pay Rs 15 lakh

How long will he serve in jail

The trial court had originally sentenced him to one year in jail for demanding the bribe and one and a half years for misusing his position as a public servant, along with fines. Jharkhand High Court has now cut this down to six months for the bribe demand and one year for misusing his official position, with both terms running together. This means he will effectively serve one year in jail. The fine amount he already deposited will not change. He has been given two months to surrender before the trial court, failing which the court can take coercive steps to send him into custody.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
retired government employee corruption caseRetired corrupted clerk arrestedCBI catches bribe takerrailway booking clerk bribecbicorrupt railway clerk arrestedretired employee bribery convictionretired railway booking clerkclerk arrested for rs 100 briberetired govt employee arrested at 75

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year