The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

This edition of The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 presents the authoritative bare text of the principal anti-corruption legislation in India, updated and applicable for 2026. Enacted as Act 49 of 1988, the Act is reproduced in this volume as amended by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, brought into force with effect from 26 July 2018, and further aligned with changes arising from the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, effective from 31 October 2019.

The book contains the complete and current statutory text of the Act, reflecting the revised legal framework governing offences relating to bribery, criminal misconduct by public servants, liability of commercial organizations, investigation procedures, and sanctions. The amendments incorporated significantly restructure the law to bring it in line with contemporary anti-corruption standards, including provisions relating to prior sanction, attachment and forfeiture of property, and trial by Special Judges.

Presented as a bare act with short comments, this publication preserves the precise language of the statute while offering limited explanatory guidance for ease of understanding, making it particularly suitable for examination use and accurate legal reference.

This edition is especially useful for law students, judicial services aspirants, advocates, prosecutors, investigators, public servants, and academicians dealing with criminal law and anti-corruption legislation. By providing the updated and unannotated text of the law in force, this volume serves as a reliable and practical reference on the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.