Awarding the death penalty on charges of corruption and invoking the Goondas Act to detain those polluting waterbodies and engaging in food adulteration were suggestions made by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, to the government, to look into an order to tackle the menace of corruption. Though it appears to be an extreme step, it has to be considered, the court observed.
Taking serious view of the issues plaguing society, a Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi called for a response from the Centre and the State governments as to why the relevant Acts cannot be re-visited and amended to bring in stricter punishments for those involved in these offences.
People are compelled to accept corruption as routine. It has become deep rooted and is spreading like cancer, the judges observed, while suggesting that the Centre revisit the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Act should be strengthened and stringent penalties imposed to curb the menace of corruption, the court said.
The court, which initiated suo motu proceedings, taking cognisance of news reports on the pollution of waterbodies, has asked whether the Goondas Act can be invoked against the offenders. When the State government, to safeguard the interest of the cinema industry, included video piracy under the Goondas Act, why not include polluters as well, the court asked.
Similarly, the court wanted to know why those indulging in food adulteration should not be included under the Act. They should be termed ‘goondas’, as per the definition in Section 2 of the Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982, by amending the provisions to include them and to detain them under the Act, the judges said.
The State government has to take steps, at the earliest, to amend the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982, referred to as the Goondas Act, the judges said.
