Cognizant case: Executives can be tried in India

CHENNAI: Cognizant Technology has settled bribery charges with the US authorities, but the company and the government officials of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, who took the bribe remain, liable for wrongdoing under Indian law, say legal experts and anti-corruption activists.
Last Friday, Cognizant announced that it had struck a deal with the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DoJ) to cough up a penalty of $28 million (over Rs 200 crore) for paying bribes of $3.6 million (Rs 26 crore) to Indian officials via third parties. This was for construction-related permits and operating licenses for its campuses in Chennai and Pune.
Irrespective of resolution in US courts, the issue qualifies for a probe in India as it falls under the purview of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Companies Act, lawyers told TOI.