New Delhi [India], January 29 (ANI): A CBI court in Rouse Avenue has acquitted the former MCD Councillor Geeta Rawat of corruption charges against her.
In February 2022, it was alleged she accepted a bribe but the prosecution could not prove the allegations beyond reasonable grounds. She was an MCD councillor from Vinod Nagar in East Delhi.
Special CBI judge Sanjeev Aggarwal on Monday acquitted Geeta Rawat along with two other accused namely Naushad Ahmed and Sanaullah, giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Special Judge Aggarwal said that the ingredient of acceptance of bribe is an essential condition of Section 7 of the PC Act, which has not been proved vide the above discussion and taking into account the overall evidence with regard to evidentiary facts, consequently the prosecution has failed to make out a case under section 7 of the PC Act.
“Since the yardstick which is to be achieved by the prosecution in criminal trial is probabilistic in nature, the prosecution should prove its case against an accused beyond reasonable doubt i.e. the probabilities of the prosecution case or probative force of its case as a whole, or weigh thereof as a whole should be beyond any sort of reasonable doubt against the accused, which the prosecution has failed to achieve in the present case,” special judge held in the judgement passed on January 27, 2025.
As a result, all the accused persons namely Geeta Rawat, Naushad Ahmed and Sanaullah alias Bilal stand acquitted of the charge(s) under section 120B read with Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The court acquitted Rawat also for the substantial charge(s) under Section 7 of the PC Act, 1988. Advocate Sanjay Gupta and Rajkamal Arya appeared for Geeta Rawat.
It was alleged that the investigation revealed that a verification dated February 17, 2022 was conducted by CBI which confirmed demand of bribe of Rs. 20,000 on the part of Geeta Rawat, the then councilor, West Vinod Nagar, Delhi through unknown person from Jitender Kumar (Munshi of the complaint). The memo containing verification proceedings was prepared in the presence of independent witness Amit Kumar Soni, Salim Ali (Complainant), Jitender Kumar (Munshi of the complaint) and after verification an FIR was filed by CBI.
It was alleged that Geeta Rawat, Municipal Councilor demanded an amount of Rs 20,000 through her husband Dilwan Singh Rawat for allowing lay down the lenter in the house under construction at a plot in D-Block, West Vinod Nagar from complaint Saleem Ali.
On February 21, 2023, a charge sheet was filed in the court and on May 29 2023, cognizance of the offence(s) was taken. As per order dated March 16, 2024 charges under section 120B IPC read with Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 were directed to be framed against all the accused persons and additionally accused Geeta Rawat was also directed to be charged for the substantive offence u/S. 7 of the PC Act, 1988. (ANI)
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