The long arm of law will not spare anybody no matter how much time might have elapsed since irregularity was detected. The Supreme Court’s ruling is that grant of sanction is not a quasi-judicial function and the person for whose prosecution sanction is sought is not required to be heard by the competent authority before it takes decision in the matter. Why should it have taken such a long time for the Legislative Assembly to accord sanction to the prosecution of former Minister Jagjeevan Lal when a case of having raised assets disproportionate to his income was brought to its notice. The case came up before the Divisional Bench. State Vigilance Organization filed FIR against the ex-Minister, conducted investigation, built up the legalities of the case and sent it to the Legislative Assembly to take further action. For five long years the Assembly Secretariat sat on the case and finally when the Divisional Bench ordered that they should take a decision and even cited the Supreme Court ruling then alone the sanction was granted.
It is commendable on the part of the present Government to have given powers to the SVC to bring Ministers, legislators and senior bureaucrats under its purview. This is a major and effective step of eradicating corruption in State administration. But the old adage is that justice delayed is justice denied. It should not take five long years to take action on the recommendation of the State Vigilance Commission. That will undermine the authority and powers of this prestigious institution. However, the fact that the Speaker has given his consent for the prosecution of the ex-Minister is a step in the right direction. But the process should not stop with that. In fact it should be taken as the beginning of the process. The Government should waste no time in taking quick decision on all pending cases of corruption whether the accused will have to be prosecuted or not. Taking decisions within reasonable time and after completing all provisions of the law is as important as delivering the judgement.
Prosecution of alleged cases of corruption is not only the right way of dealing with this menace but is also the one which the public have been demanding vociferously. It reinstates the credibility of the Government and at the same time will prove a deterrent to other prospective offenders. The Speaker of the Assembly has set a good precedent and hopefully it will have salutary effect on other services also. Corruption cannot be eradicated from the polity unless the law forbidding bribery and corruption is allowed free flow.
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