Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau in the state broke its own record this year by trapping 297 babus in the act of accepting bribes. The Bureau’s previous record was in 2002 when 264 officials were caught taking bribes.
Sources said that spy camera and audio recordings by ACB sleuths had revealed interesting conversations between the bribe givers and corrupt officials. So far this year, the Bureau has seized around Rs 63 lakh cash and disproportionate assets of state government officials worth Rs 31 crore.
ACB director Kumar Viswajeet said, “Due to stepped-up pressure by the agency, corrupt babus were caught on record asking complainants, ‘did you inform the ACB?’ Due to fear of being trapped, they were trying to confirm before accepting the graft.”
Conversations between the complainant and the corrupt official are secretly recorded by the ACB to be used as evidence.
The ACB broke its own record this year despite there being a lull in government office work for two months due to the agitations in Seemandhra against the state’s bifurcation. Most of the officials trapped were from revenue and transport departments, said sources.
Viswajeet added that increased efforts to nab corrupt officials by ACB and taking up cases involving smaller amounts to curb grassroots-level corruption had resulted in the increased traps.
Next: ACB takes all complaints seriously
ACB takes all complaints seriously
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau in the state is taking all the complaints seriously.
“We are taking up cases of genuine complainants even if the graft amount is small. It is not the question of small fish but the issue of corruption in rural areas. In villages, revenue officials including VROs were found demanding money from farmers for issuing pattadar pass books.
The amounts may be Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 but it is big for those in villages,” added Viswajeet. The ACB registered 19 cases of disproportionate assets this year compered to last year’s six DA cases. The Bureau had been focusing more on the liquor scam investigation last year and thus had booked only 94 cases against corrupt officials.
The Bureau has conducted around 30 regular enquiries and 37 discreet enquires and surprise checks this year. However, the conviction rate has come down this year. The conviction percentage has come down from 45 per cent in 2012 to 42 per cent in 2013 till November 13. Dismissal from service and punishment by disciplinary authorities have also gone down. ACB officials hope that by the end of the year they will catch up.
Trap cases 182 94 292
Assets cases 54 6 19
Trap amount seized 27.89 13.6 63.26
Percentage conviction 48.94 45.08 42.04
