Bhubaneswar, April 27 -- In a bizarre case that has drawn nationwide attention, a claim that rats devoured bribe money reached the Supreme Court, leaving judges astonished.

The case pertains to Aruna Kumari, a government officer from Bihar who served as a Child Development Programme Officer in 2014. She was accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a complainant. While a trial court had earlier acquitted her, the Patna High Court later found her guilty based on available evidence and sentenced her to four years in prison.

However, during the proceedings, it emerged that the seized bribe money considered crucial evidence could not be produced in court. Authorities claimed that the cash had been eaten by rats while stored in the poli...