Constable cleared of ₹20 bribery charge after 30 years, dies a day later

A day after the Gujarat High Court finally cleared him of a corruption charge that had shadowed his life for nearly three decades, police constable Babubhai Prajapati died at his Ahmedabad home, bringing a tragic close to one of the state’s longest-running and smallest-value bribery cases.

Prajapati, a resident of Vejalpur, had been accused in 1996 of accepting a bribe of just ₹20. On February 4, 2026, the High Court acquitted him of all charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, overturning a conviction that had cost him his career, reputation, and peace of mind.

Moments after the verdict, an emotional Prajapati visited his lawyer’s office to share his relief. “The stigma of my life has been removed,” he told Advocate Nitin Gandhi. “Now I wish I may attain salvation.” The interaction, according to the lawyer, was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the office.

Gandhi advised Prajapati to initiate the process of claiming government benefits that had remained out of reach due to the pending case. He never got the chance. Prajapati died the very next day due to natural causes.

The case dated back to 1996, when Prajapati was accused of accepting a ₹20 bribe. A chargesheet was filed in 1997, charges were framed in 2002, and the trial began in 2003. In 2004, the Ahmedabad Sessions Court convicted him, sentencing him to four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposing a fine of ₹3,000.

Prajapati challenged the conviction in the Gujarat High Court the same year. The appeal, however, remained pending for years, prolonging his legal and personal ordeal.

During the final hearing, his counsel pointed to serious inconsistencies in witness testimonies and questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s case. The High Court agreed, setting aside the conviction and acquitting Prajapati nearly 30 years after the allegation was first made.

For Prajapati, the verdict restored his name—but only briefly. His death a day later has cast a stark light on the human cost of delayed justice, raising uncomfortable questions about what vindication means when it comes too late to be lived.