Vigilance Bureau conducts workshop to discuss the amendments made to Prevention of Corruption Act

Chandigarh : Punjab Vigilance Bureau organised a workshop to ensure meticulous compliance of the amendments made by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. All the field officers of Vigilance Bureau attended the workshop. Vigilance Bureau officers discussed the amendments incorporated in the PC Act, 1988 as vide PC (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Disclosing this here today, Chief Director-cum-ADGP, Vigilance Bureau Mr. BK Uppal said giving bribe is now a punishable offence with imprisonment of seven years if bribe giver does not report the matter within seven days to investigating agencies. “Person who is compelled to give bribe and reports the matter to law enforcement authorities within seven days would not be charged with this offence”, Uppal said.

Divulging more, he said the amendments in the PC Act have made it mandatory for VB to take previous approval of respective Government or Competent Authority to conduct any investigation or enquiry or inquiry into certain alleged offences relating to decisions taken or recommendations made, committed by a public servant while discharge of official duties. “Such approval would not be necessary in cases that involve arrest of person on spot on charges of taking bribe”, he added.

He further informed that the Commercial Organizations would be punished with fine if such organisation is found greasing the palms of a public servant to get undue favour. A person in charge of Commercial Organization found guilty of offence would be punished with imprisonment ranging from three years to seven years with or without fine, he said.

He further revealed that the trial of an offence under PC Act is to be concluded within a period of two years now. Apart from this, in case of delays, valid reasons must be recorded by the special judge and then total period for completion of trial would not exceed four years in aggregate.

He stated that earlier, Sanction for Prosecution is required for prosecution of serving public servants only. As per amended Act, Sanction of Competent Authority is required for prosecuting retired public servants also for offences allegedly committed by them when they were in service. The decisions on requests for sanctions must be taken within three months and extendable by one additional month.

Prominent among those present in the workshop included ADGP-cum Chief Director Vigilance Bureau B.K. Uppal, Director Vigilance Bureau G. Nageswara Rao, IGP Vigilance Bureau A.S. Rai, IGP EoW VB Shive Kumar Verma, all the Law Officers and SSPs/SPs/DSPs of the Vigilance Bureau.