STATE OF KERALA vs C.P. RAO

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's acquittal of the respondent under Sections 7 and 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, emphasizing the critical importance of corroborative evidence from the complainant, CW 1, who was not examined. The Court reiterated the principle from Panalal Damodar Rathi Vs. State of Maharashtra that without corroboration, the complainant's testimony cannot be relied upon, leading to reasonable doubt regarding the respondent's guilt. Consequently, the Court affirmed the High Court's finding that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.