The Supreme Court has held that corruption is not only an offence but also undermines human rights of others, leading to systematic economic crimes. A Bench of Justices B S Chauhan and F M I Kalifulla said, when a public servant is found guilty of corruption by a court, he has to be treated as corrupt until he is exonerated by a superior court in appeal or revision.
The Bench set aside the Bombay High Court's order of staying conviction of an excise officer in a disproportionate assets case. It dismissed the officer's contention that he would lose his job during the hearing of his appeal if the trial court order of sentencing him two-year jail term for amassing disproportionate assets of around 7.5 lakh.