TOI : When bribes take the form of a ‘gift’ : Nov 8,2007
Nitasha Natu | TNN
Mumbai: In the festive season, officers from the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) are training their sights on government servants accepting bribes in kind under the guise of “Diwali gifts.’’
Officials believe bribe-taking soars during festivals. According to sources, bribes demanded in kind range from gadgets like cellphones to a
flat-screen TV set, watches or a gold chain.
“If we get complaints of a government servant demanding a bribe under the guise of Diwali gifts, we shall look into it,’’ said deputy inspector general Pradnya Sarvade.
Two years ago, wireless sets were demanded by an officer. Another recently demanded an imported liquor bottle. Often, colleagues are the first to know when someone accepts a bribe in kind. “If they approach us, we will investigate the case, although complaints by colleagues is a rare phenomenon,’’ Sarvade added.
Additional deputy commissioner Sanjay Parande clarified that if a citizen offered a gift to a government servant in good faith, without the officer demanding for it, it would not fall under the purview of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. “Only when an officer demands and accepts a bribe, whether in cash or kind, would the ACB swoop down on him.’’
But in cases where bribes are accepted in kind, ACB sleuths use a different approach. “When a government servant demands a bribe in cash, we apply a special white
powder on the currency notes the complainant is supposed to hand over. Once the officer accepts the notes, his fingerprints are left behind. “But when bribes are demanded in kind, the complainant is instructed to carry a digital voice recorder or dictaphone, where his conversation with the officer can be recorded as evidence,’’ said an investigator.
In July 2007, constable Vitthal Kanade of MHB Colony police was held for demanding a liquor bottle from Borivli resident Edwin Sequeira. Sequeira wanted to rectify some errors in his father’s passport. The passport department sent the papers to the police station for verification. Kanade then asked Sequeira for the bottle to complete the work.