Police Ranks 1st in Corruption, Leaves BMC Behind

Afternoon Voice

Mumbai:- Out of 52 cases registered this year against government officials in Anti-Corruption Mumbai Police is on top of the list by 16 cases filed against Police officers from various department leaving behind BMC. In a report provided by Anti Corruption Bureau to AV, which clearly mentions the name and the numbers of government officials been caught taking bribes red handed. Many Police officers including of higher rank to the smaller rank were caught in bribing this year for the lowest amount of Rs 500 to the highest of Rs 2, 50,000. An ATS officer Arun Sambhaji was caught too for demanding Rs 2,50,000 from a businessman after putting a false case on him.
14 cases too are been filed against the BMC, one out of which is of Santosh Dhawre who was caught for taking bribe of Rs 10,000 for not demolishing an illegal construction. Also 2 corporators Rajul Patel of ward no-54 and Babasaheb Bhonsade are been held by Anti Corruption Bureau for asking for Rs 4.5 Lakhs and Rs 2 Lakhs respectively for different reason.
When AV spoke to the students of Siddharth college they were shocked to know that “only 16 police officials are been caught in bribing out of more than 50,000, while we believe that 95% are directly or indirectly indulged in the activity of bribing” says Nazia Patel student of TYBcom. A retired Professor of Political Science and an activist Rama Shankar Pandey commented that “Mumbaikars feel easy to bribe rather taking help of ACB and get the culprits caught red handed” also he stated that “it is lack of awareness among the people of the simple procedure of ACB, due to which bribing starting from small amount to larger amount had made every department corrupt”.
This is not where the figures end, 4 officials from department of Rationing are facing the charges of Bribing, in Revenue is 3 officers, Private Department 3, Sales Tax 2, MHADA 2, while Medical Education 1 officers, Survey Department 1, and Judiciary Department 1 officer are caught taking bribes red handed.
Besides this local bike rider’s were shocked when they came to know that only one R.T.O officer named Nandkishore Patil from thane was caught taking bribe of Rs 4,000 for passing the truck without checking it on the checkpost. Where a Taxi Driver name withheld alleges that “traffic police are always ready to take bribe even if it is the least amount of Rs10-Rs20”.
When AV asked why Police is on top of the list of corruption to ACB Chief Niket Kaushik he replied that "it's a concern of different department and we dont know why they are been caught taking bribes in larger number, whatever has come to us we give our 100% to take strict action against corruption" while former Police Commissioner Hasan Gaffor was unavailable for his comment.
When AV contacted Y.P.Singh of Adarsh fame and discussed this issue with him he said that “Police is in a close contact with the people that is why they annoy them and this become a big reason of why they are been caught bribing” he also added that “In a bigger cases like Income Tax department evades tax of a bigger amount when they are been bribed heavily and such a bigger cases are not been reported because of such collusive corruption which is not a right indication”.
These Figures are been Provided to AV by Anti Corruption Bureau by request and these figures of officers caught in bribing are from various department only from Mumbai.