Mandatory attachment, confiscation essential to combat vice of corruption, says Madras High Court
The Madras High Court has called for stricter amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The court emphasized that mandatory attachment and confiscation of assets acquired through corrupt means are essential to deter public officials from engaging in corrupt practices.
Why it matters
This highlights a judicial push for stronger anti-corruption enforcement mechanisms to ensure that illegal wealth is effectively recovered by the state.
The objective of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is not merely to punish persons found guilty of corrupt practices, but also to ensure that the fruits of such corrupt conduct do not remain available for enjoyment or disposal by those who acquired them through illegal means, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has said.
Justice B. Pugalendhi said attachment of properties acquired through corrupt means, or through wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, was an important component of such a mechanism, and that corruption and corrupt practices had to be treated more seriously than any other offence.
Mandatory attachment and confiscation were essential to combat the vice of corruption, which had affected every part of society, the Court said.
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