India News : In a remarkable turn of events, the Supreme Court has exonerated a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) who was accused of taking a ₹50 bribe — 37 years after the incident. Tragically, the TTE could not live to see his name cleared.
The apex court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the bribery charges. It directed the Railways to release all pending financial benefits, pension, and dues to the late TTE’s legal heirs within three months.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra upheld the 2002 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which had quashed the dismissal and ordered reinstatement. The Bombay High Court had overturned that order in 2017, but the Supreme Court has now reinstated the CAT ruling.
The case dates back to May 31, 1988, when Railway Vigilance officials accused the TTE of accepting ₹50 from three passengers in exchange for berths. However, one passenger was never examined, and the other two did not support the allegations. CAT found that the evidence was insufficient and ordered reinstatement in 2002.
Despite his passing, the Supreme Court’s decision restores his reputation — marking justice served, albeit too late.
