Supreme Court Deliberates on Potential Sanction for Corruption Probe

The Supreme Court referred a plea by BJP leader B S Yediyurappa concerning prior sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act to a larger bench. This follows a Karnataka High Court order on revived corruption charges, with pivotal questions on judicial requirements before prosecuting under Sections 156(3) and 17A of CrPC.

The Supreme Court has escalated to a larger bench the review of legal questions following BJP leader B S Yediyurappa's plea. Central to the review is whether a prior sanction is necessary for prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act after a lower court's inquiry order.

During judgment dictation, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra acknowledged similar legal issues awaiting a larger bench's review, prompting them to refrain from delivering a ruling for maintaining judicial propriety. This development redirects the decision-making to a more authoritative judicial body.

The Karnataka High Court had previously revived a corruption case against Yediyurappa upon a plea by A Alam Pasha. Allegations claim corruption involving industrial land allocation. The Supreme Court's examination will focus on the necessity of prior sanction, exploring whether recent judicial interpretations necessitate procedural adjustments.

(With inputs from agencies.)