AAP to challenge in HC anti-corruption act tweak
Criticising the amendments brought to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rajasthan, will file a petition and challenge these amendments in high court.
Chairman AAP legal cell, advocate Poonam Chand Bhandari alleged that the central government has amended the Prevention of Corruption (PoC) Act, 1988, to protect employees and officials involved in corruption.
The Parliament has recently passed the bill to amend certain key provisions in the Act.
Addressing newspersons he said that certain amendments are appreciable but some are there to protect corrupt employees of the state and central governments. “After the amendments, the police cannot probe or arrest employees or officials, if not caught red-handed. A probe cannot be started without prior approval. The state or central
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government will have 3-4 months time to sanction an approval.”
Bhandari said that the insertion of section 17(A) reads, “No police officer shall conduct any enquiry or inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under this Act, where the alleged offence is relatable to any recommendation made or decision taken by such public servant in discharge of his official functions or duties, without the previous approval — in the case of a person who is or was employed, at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed, in connection with the affairs of the Union or state, of that Government.”
“We will file a petition in court challenging these amendments brought by the central government. In view of the elections, such amendments have been brought as official stop working as elections draw near because of political pressure. But with such an amendment the political leaders would get their work done,” said Bhandari.