DILAWAR BALU KURANE vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether the appellant, a lecturer at a private college, qualifies as a public servant under Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code for the purposes of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The Court held that the appellant does not fall within the definition of a public servant, thus the charges under Section 161/477A IPC and Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act cannot be sustained. Consequently, the Court quashed the proceedings against the appellant, emphasizing the lack of a prima facie case against him.