The Supreme Court Monday sought response of the Centre on a plea challenging constitutional validity of a provision of the anti-graft law which mandates prior sanction before starting a probe against a government servant in a corruption case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Ajay Rastogi issued notice to the Centre on the PIL filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation' (CPIL) against the validity of amended section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, said the amended provision makes the prior sanction of appointing authority essential to launch investigation against government servants in corruption cases.

"We think that you are entitled to a hearing and so we have issued the notice," he bench said.

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