Sanction to Prosecute Delayed in Many Corruption Cases: HC

FILES for according of Sanction to Prosecute (SOP) have been pending in various offices, from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary to low-level sanctioning officers and even the governor's office, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed.

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Dismissing a quash petition, Justice K K Ramakrishnan said this delay has exceeded the time limit mentioned in the provisions concerned as well as the time limit fixed by the Supreme Court. All competent authorities, including the governor, must decide the issuance of sanction to prosecute the accused either under the prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, or Section 197 of the CrPC within one month from the date of receipt of the order copy, if the period fixed either by the Supreme Court or by statute has already lapsed. "If no decision is taken, the sanction will be deemed to have been granted for the proposed prosecution,"