Going by the number of officers trapped by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the railways are the most corrupt Central government department in Mumbai – and they’ve topped the list in 2007, 2008 and 2009. This year so far, of the 26 people trapped by the CBI’s Mumbai unit, eight are railway staffers. Last year it was 6, in 2007 it was 10. Close behind the railways is the income-tax department, with 5 traps this year. The Customs and Central Excise – the second most corrupt department last year (with 5 traps) slipped to number three with 2 traps this year.

Two private individuals also made it into the list, one of them being former union home minister Buta Singh’s son Sarabjot, who was arrested in July for taking a bribe of Rs one crore from a Nashik-based municipal contractor.

Sarabjot had demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore from the contractor to hush up a case against him. The CBI will file a chargesheet against Sarabjot this month, said Rishi Raj Singh, joint director, CBI, West Zone. Against the CBI’s 26 traps this year, last year saw 30 and 2007 recorded 18.

As part of the Vigilance Awareness Week from November 3 to 7, the CBI will visit 26 Mumbai colleges to create awareness among students to fight corruption.

The agency will also meet whistle blowers and representatives of various NGOs. Singh added that these NGOs will be requested to approach people on behalf of the CBI to spread the anti-corruption message.

He said the CBI will also talk to about 50 chief vigilance officers in various government departments in Mumbai. “We will tell them how to be vigilant in their own departments and how to approach us to pass information on corrupt staffers,” he explained.