India's Supreme Court has ruled that investigators do not need prior government approval to probe a public servant accused of demanding a bribe, because seeking a bribe is not part of official duties, The Hindu reports. The judgment, delivered on 16 October by a two-judge bench, dismissed an appeal by a Rajasthan police constable against a corruption charge.
The constable had argued that the investigating agency failed to obtain approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which protects decisions taken by officials in the course of their work. The court said offences such as taking bribes, cheating and falsifying accounts fall outside that protection, and upheld the lower courts' decision to let the charge stand.
Source: The Hindu National
