Vikram Hegde (VK): The general offence of question paper leakages and cheating in examinations was being prosecuted under Sections 406, 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which pertain to the offences of criminal breach of trust, criminal breach of trust by a public servant or agent and cheating, respectively. The punishment in those cases under Section 406 is imprisonment upto three years; under 409, the punishment is ten years upto life imprisonment; and in 420 it goes upto seven years. So in a sense, perhaps the punishment for offences that are prescribed under this Act is lesser, because it goes upto only five years for the members of the general public. For public service providers, a heavier penalty has been imposed, where it can go upto life imprisonment or ₹1 crore fine also.
Source: Barandbench
