Two weeks given to decide prosecution proposals in graft cases

The Bombay High Court today directed Maharashtra government to decide within two weeks 124 proposals for according sanction to prosecute public servants accused of corruption.
A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale said it would initiate action against the secretaries of the concerned departments if the government fails to decide the proposals within the two week period.
The 124 proposals which have to be decided within two weeks were forwarded to the government for sanction between the year 2007 and 2011.
The bench was irked when assistant public prosecutor Aruna Pai sought extension of the two week time considering the fact that Assembly session was starting from March 11.

"Whether Assembly (session) is starting or no is not our concern. Already there has been so much delay. We are not even going into the directives of the Supreme Court," Justice Khanwilkar said.
The apex court had directed all state governments to decide any proposal for sanction of prosecution within three months of its receipt.

The high court today also pointed out that the Maharashtra government itself had issued a notification on February 12 this year which gave the state Anti-Corruption Bureau the right to prosecute corrupt government officials if the concerned government department does not grant the right within three months.

Pai informed the court that since 2007, 196 cases have been sent to the government for sanction, of which decision has been taken in 68 cases. Interestingly, decision has been taken in 68 cases post issuance of GR.
Of these, 124 cases have been sent between 2007 and 2011 whereas 44 cases were sent on 2012.
The court has directed the government to decide on the 124 cases in two weeks and submit a compliance report by March 25. The government has been directed to decide on the 44 other cases in two weeks thereafter.
The directions were passed in a public interest litigation filed by social activist Prakash Sheth seeking direction to the government to decide on proposals for sanction to prosecute public servants within a short-time frame.