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Government approves enhanced punishment for bribery
Government
approves enhanced punishment for bribery
New Delhi, April 29 The government on Wednesday approved enhancing the minimum
punishment for taking or giving bribes from six months to three years and the
maximum punishment from five years to seven years.
At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the cabinet gave its
approval to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by pursuing the
Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, pending before the Rajya
Sabha.
The proposed amendments would fill in perceived gaps in the domestic
anti-corruption law and also help in meeting the country's obligations under
the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) more effectively, an official release said here.
The proposed amendments are mainly aimed at laying down more stringent measures
to tackle corruption including enhancing the punishment for bribery, both for
the bribe giver and the bribe taker.
The amendments enhance penal provisions from minimum six months to three years
and from maximum five years to seven years (The seven-year imprisonment brings
corruption to the heinous crime category).
To check the pecuniary gains from corruption, the powers of attachment are
proposed to be conferred upon the trial court instead of the district court.
Expanding the ambit of the provision for containing inducement of public
servant from individuals to commercial entities is being added to contain
supply side of corruption, the release said.
Intentional enrichment by public servants will be construed as criminal
misconduct and possession of disproportionate assets as proof of such
illegitimate gains.