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Supreme Court of India 2022-09-08 allowed

P. DHARAMARAJ vs SHANMUGAM & ORS

Bench: 2 — S. Abdul Nazeer, V. Ramasubramanian

In Brief

This case concerns a cash-for-jobs scam in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation of Tamil Nadu, where candidates paid money to secure employment. The High Court quashed the criminal complaint based on a compromise settlement between victims and accused. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that corruption and abuse of official position cannot be quashed merely on compromise grounds, even for non-compoundable offences. The Court recognized that candidates unfairly excluded and the public harmed by corrupt appointments are victims with locus standi. It emphasized that economic crimes affecting the State's interests must be pursued, distinguishing them from purely private civil disputes. The judgment restored the criminal complaint for proper investigation and prosecution.

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Criminal Procedure Corruption Prevention of Corruption Act Quashing of Criminal Proceedings Locus Standi Settlement and Compromise Public Interest Non-Compoundable Offences

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