No Prior Govt Sanction Required for Inquiry or Investigation in Some Circumstances

The prior sanction of the Government, as mandated under Section 17A of Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) in regard to recommendations made or decisions taken, would not be necessary when the act of the public servant is ex-facie criminal or constitutes an offence. This is what the Supreme Court (SC) states in the judgement in Shankara Bhat and Others v. State of Kerala and Others [2021(5) KHC 248].

Demand of Bribe to be Proved in Bribery Case : SC Constitutional bench

A Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court (SC) declares, in Neeraj Dutta v State ( Govt of NCT, New Delhi) [2023(1) KLD 1 (SC), that the proof of demand and acceptance of illegal gratification by a Public Servant is a sine qua non to establish the guilt under Section 7 & 13 (1) (d) (i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PCA).

Sanction not Required to Prosecute Public Servants in ex facie Criminal Acts Under PC Act

No prior sanction of the government is required, under section 17A of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act), for offences like falsification of accounts, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds or acts which are ex facie criminal in nature. The Kerala High Court held this in Shankara Bhat v. State of Kerala & Ors, while deciding a few connected matters.