In a landmark ruling, the court said prosecutors don’t need to pin criminal intent on an individual to charge a company. The test? Just show someone acted *for* the company, and the intent isn’t ‘plainly improbable’. This could change how agencies like CBI or ED operate; targeting companies first, people later. And while the law tries to be precise, experts warn: it leaves room for misuse. Especially in sectors like pharma, finance, or tech, where compliance programs won’t protect you from prosecution; they’re just evidence, not a shield. The court borrowed from UK case law, but India’s new penal code doesn’t spell this out. That’s why judges called it an ‘empty vessel’. What’s next? A possible flood of corporate cases; and maybe a legislative rethink. Companies beware: silence isn’t safety anymore.