Corruption ...how easy it is to end.....,,,

By: ikchhugani Category: India Date: Jun 04, 2007 Views: 2317 Comments: 1

Corruption is rampant ...Yes...but you will not know, unless you go through the experience ...how difficult it is, to refuse a "bribe" and what happens when you go to Anti-corruption Dept.

 Till 1980 (age 33 then) I refused to pay a bribe to anyone, though I was in business, running a factory in Bombay... In that year I along with a friend approached the ACB at Bombay, (one Mr Dembla was the head) against a Muncipal Engineer, who wanted Rs 8000 from each gala in our building, for having constructed some lofts (amount 8000 X 40 galas)... so I  told, the  head of ACB that, this Asst Engineer of BMC was triying to get Rs 3 lacs plus FROM OUR BUILDING ALONE (his salary then must be Rs 6000 pm) ... Mr Dembla's response shocked me "Rs 3 lacs is nothing, here this file is about 60 lacs, the other one is for 80 lacs, what is Rs 3 lacs".

He further told us that once we get this Engineer trapped, his colleagues wll start harassing us on other issues, and ACB will not be able to help. We dropped the idea, of getting the Engineer trapped  "2 days later we offered the Engineer Rs 2000, instead of Rs 8000, he was collecting from others". Told him to take it or we go to ACB...he accepted Rs 2000. That was the beginning of my offering bribes thereafter, on VERY RARE occasions.

In December 05, I approached ACB Bombay and met ACP Dilip Samel, about an amount of Rs 50,000 extorted by API Walzade of Khar Police station, from my family, after he had illegally arrested me...I had also filed a writ in the Bombay HC about it... This ACP was trying to scare me, saying "First I will have to investigate from where you got Rs 50,000" ... only he was unprepared for my response  "I stole it from your house, from where you got Rs 50,000"...thereafter. I explained to him, that I had already met the Police commissioner of Bombay Mr A N Roy and DGP Dr Pasricha, who had not tried the tactics he was trying, to scare me...He then accepted my complaint, but has done nothing.

So, it is easy to say, give no bribes, but for that to be taken seriously, a citizens movement has to be started, which I am attempting to, visit www.ikchhugani.com/policing.htm

Was I an extra ordinary business man, running a factory and refusing to pay "bribes" ... no sir ... most of the businessmen hate to pay, what the general public calls bribe... Most of the time, it is extortion "Pay us or we will harass you" and then they find some obscure law under which, they can proceed against you in court...once the matters go to court, you end up spending so much time in court, that your business suffers...so most people think it is wiser to pay.

I have been prosecuted and a arrest warrant issued against me (because summons never reached me), for not having written, the name of my company Sellaids Publications I Ltd., in Marathi, outside the office...finally a fine of Rs 900/- was paid in court.... At another time, I have had a criminal case filed, against me and the company, for not filing ESIC return in time (put in an explanation, that the Company has no staff since April 2002,) but refused to pay the Inspector, so ended up having to attend court for 4 years (for non payment of Rs 4,300/- ...their estimate, according to the last return), had to spent Rs 30,000 plus in getting acquited after 4 years. The problem was, after they ESIC filed the case in court, I was ready to pay up Rs 4,300/-, due or not, to avoid running in courts. But explained, my Lawyer, if you plead guilty, there is a mandatory 6 months jail term the Magistrate will give you, so we have to plead not guilty (which was the fact) and do not worry, under the ESIC act, no one has gone to jail, in last 30 yrs...though ESIC has filed 1000s of cases.             

Read about Rs 50,000 www.ikchhugani.com/timesreport.htm

About citizens movement www.ikchhugani.com/policing.htm

I K Chhugani   age 59 years now