CVC wants more time to decide on govt officials’ prosecution

The existing four-month limit for obtaining a sanction on prosecuting allegedly corrupt government employees is “unworkable”, Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary has said, suggesting that the period be extended by three months.

In an interview to PTI, he said the commission would soon approach the Supreme Court to seek its approval on its proposal to extend the time limit.

The sanction of prosecution against government employees, allegedly involved in graft, needs to be decided within three months, the Supreme Court had held.

An additional one month may be allowed where consultation is required with the Attorney General (AG) or any other law officer in the AG’s office.

The issue of whether an officer can be prosecuted or not has to be decided within a maximum period of four months.

“This four-month period is not a workable time limit. Three plus one is the present one. Six plus one, probably. But, we are leaving it to the court,” Chowdary said, adding it would mean “instead of having an unworkable time, we have a reasonable time”.

He said the Commission’s law officer was vetting the proposal.

“It (the time limit) has to be increased particularly in the case of all India services officers (Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service),” Chowdary said.

He pointed out several people were involved in processing cases of sanction of prosecution against all India services officers.

“The state government is involved. The department of personnel and training (nodal authority on anti-corruption matters) is involved. The ministry in which he (the officer) is there is involved. The CBI is involved. Law opinion is required.”