After fighting a legal battle for nearly four decades, 83-year-old Jageshwar Prasad Awadhiya of Raipur has finally been acquitted by the Chhattisgarh High Court in a false Rs 100 bribery case dating back to 1986.
Awadhiya, who worked as a bill assistant at the Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (MPSRTC), was accused of accepting a bribe when an employee allegedly forced Rs 100 into his pocket on October 24, 1986. The Lokayukta team immediately trapped him, and chemical-coated notes were presented as evidence. Despite his innocence, Awadhiya was branded a bribe-taker.
What followed was a life of struggle. He was suspended between 1988 and 1994, transferred to Rewa, denied promotions, and forced to survive on half his salary. His wife passed away under stress, and his four children’s education was disrupted. After retirement, he was denied pension and had to work as a watchman and take up odd jobs to survive.
In 2004, a trial court convicted him and sentenced him to one year in jail along with a fine of Rs 1,000. Determined to prove his innocence, Awadhiya appealed to the High Court. Now, 39 years later, the court has overturned the conviction and cleared his name.
Speaking after the verdict, Awadhiya said, “Yes, I have been acquitted, but my life has been ruined. My wife, my children’s future, and my youth were all lost because of this case. Justice delayed like this is no justice.”
His son, Neeraj Awadhiya, recalled the pain the family endured: “Our childhood was spent facing court hearings and society’s taunts. Papa’s name is cleared today, but our lives were never the same.”
At 83, Awadhiya now hopes the government will release his pending pension and dues so he can live his remaining years with dignity.
His story is not just about a man, but about a justice system that moved so slowly that it turned truth into tragedy.
