Public servant status under anti-corruption law extends to recognised stock exchange leadership; constitutional and sanction challenges do not succeed preliminarily

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....Section 2(c)(viii) read with Section 2(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 is described as constitutionally valid because it contains ascertainable requirements: a person must hold an office and, by virtue of it, be authorised or required to perform a public duty. The statutory concept of public servant is to be construed purposively and broadly to address corruption beyond government departments. A recognised stock exchange operates within a statutory framework serving investor protection and public interest, and its Managing Director and CEO may therefore fall within the definition. Whether the individual performed relevant public functions remains a mixed question of fact and law. A sanction caveat leaving the legal issue open did not invalidate the sanction, and quashing was considered inappropriate before trial.....