In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of P. Shanthi Pugazhenthi for abetting her husband's acquisition of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The husband, a Divisional Manager in an insurance company, had amassed substantial wealth through corruption; the wife allowed these assets to be registered in her name. The Court held that a non-public servant can be convicted for abetting offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 by intentionally aiding the accumulation of illicit wealth. The principles established in P. Nallammal case were applied: by keeping the corrupt assets in her name, the wife assisted in concealing the source and extent of the bribery-acquired wealth, thereby becoming an abettor under section 109 IPC read with section 13(1)(e) of the 1988 Act.
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