Moving on corruption: Govt's actions deserve credit but require follow-up

Arun Jaitley argued that the 'next step' would require international co-operation to recover assets stashed abroad, though it is far from clear what this mechanism could be

The criticism surrounding the scandal involving Nirav Modi and Punjab National Bank seems to have spurred the Union government into taking certain anti-corruption moves. Last Thursday, the Cabinet approved the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Bill, which aims to confiscate the property of those who evade police or judicial summons after being accused of fraud worth over Rs 1 billion. The Bill proposes the establishment of a special court that could declare such an alleged fraudster an economic offender, clearing the way to attach, manage and dispose of their assets. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also argued that the “next step” would