File photo of Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna. | Photo credit: PTI
The Supreme Court judge, Justice BV Nagarathna, in a postscript to the judgment, observed that corruption stems from mutual greed and envy of material possessions. She said that material greed can be avoided by developing and strengthening the “spiritual inclination of the mind”.
“An attitude of greed and envy should be curbed and erased from one’s mind, otherwise corruption and bribery leading to the acquisition of wealth beyond known sources of income cannot be curtailed or eliminated from our administration. One way to curb such tendencies is to develop and strengthen spiritual inclinations leading to detachment from materialistic possessions and thereby focus on serving the nation,” wrote Nagarhna in Interalian Justice. opinion.
The Bench, which also includes Justice KV Viswanathan, gave a split verdict on the constitutionality of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The provision mandated prior sanction before prosecution of civil servants on corruption charges.
The judge cited precedent that corruption has become a cancerous growth affecting the moral standards of the people and all forms of government.
Justice Nagarathna wrote that the children and youth of the country can act as guiding lights if their parents and guardians deviate from the straight and honest path.
“The youth and children of this country should shun anything earned beyond known sources of income by their parents and guardians rather than benefit from it. It would be a crucial service rendered not only to good governance but also to the nation,” suggested Justice Nagarathna.
Published – 13 Jan 2026 23:18 IST
