MEET SINGH vs STATE OF PUNJAB

The Supreme Court held that under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the court is mandated to impose a minimum punishment of one year imprisonment upon conviction, unless special reasons are recorded in writing. The Court clarified that 'special reasons' must be unique to the accused and not general circumstances applicable to many. In this case, the High Court's reasons for reducing the sentence were deemed insufficiently special, leading the Supreme Court to dismiss the special leave petition and uphold the minimum sentence requirement.