New Delhi, April 30 (KNN) Seeking to bring corruption into the heinous crime category, the Union Cabinet today approved enhancing the penalty to a maximum of seven years imprisonment from the present five years.
 
The amendments approved will be the part of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which also provides guidelines for commercial organisations to prevent persons associated with them from bribing a public servant. The proposed amendments provides for punishment both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker. To ensure speedy conclusion of corruption cases, a time limit of two years has been proposed.
 
At the same time the Bill propose to extend the safe guard against corruption charge to public servants even after retirement / resignation. Now prior sanction will be required for prosecution of officers not in Government service also under the law. In the past many officers investigated for corruption went scot free due to inordinate delay by the Government to sanction their prosecution. This permission was not required for prosecution of retired / resigned employees of Government. Now they will also get the respite. (KNN/DB)