Navi Mumbai Anti Corruption Bureau unit records 13 cases this year, highest in 6 years

The Anti Corruption Bureau of Navi Mumbai records the highest cases in the last six years with 13 cases registered this year and 21 public servants held; DSP Jyoti Deshmukh has credited the increase for the work of her team to make people understand and convince them to come forward with complaints

The Anti-Corruption Bureau unit of Navi Mumbai records the highest cases in the last six years with 13 cases registered this year and 21 public servants held.

The Anti Corruption Bureau office in Navi Mumbai. It has recorded 13 cases this year, the highest in six years. (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jyoti Deshmukh, has credited the increase for the work of her team to make people understand and convince them to come forward with complaints. Various awareness programmes including approaching people at government offices and speaking to them about where they can go if anyone asks for a bribe has helped people to gain confidence to come ahead.

“We have been conducting regular awareness programmes and also recently observed the Vigilance Awareness Week. During working days, our men visit government offices to speak to the common public and tell them about our department and our work. That helps people have confidence that their complaints will be heard. Due to these steps of approaching the public, we have had good response from them after they came to us with their complaints,” Deshmukh said.

In a graft case, after receiving a complaint, ACB team first verifies the allegation and then lays a trap after deciding on a place to give the money. In disproportionate assets cases (DPA cases), after receiving an information, ACB seeks for permission for enquiry and after getting the permission, an enquiry is done to find if the government servant has more assets than his income and if so, a case is registered. A third type of case the ACB deals with is of misconduct wherein the officer is booked after finding to be indulging in any misconduct leading to fraud.

Started in 2009, the Navi Mumbai ACB unit had highest traps in 2014 with 20 cases registered wherein 27 public servants were arrested. This year, there have been 13 cases in which 21 public servants were arrested.