Bhubaneswar, Feb. 8 -- A 22-year-long legal battle involving an alleged Rs 20 bribe taken by a Gujarat police constable ended in acquittal earlier this month, but the relief was tragically short-lived as the accused died the very next day.

The case dates back to 1996, when Babubhai Prajapati, then posted as a police constable in Ahmedabad, was accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 20. What began as a minor allegation went on to become a prolonged legal ordeal that spanned over two decades.

After the trial, a lower court in 2004 convicted Prajapati in the bribery case. He was sentenced to four years of imprisonment and fined Rs 3,000. Prajapati subsequently challenged the verdict in a higher court, following which the case remained pending ...