No increment for officials who turned hostile in graft case trials

Navi Mumbai

Navi Mumbai

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In a move to ensure corrupt officers are not let off the hook, two Navi Mumbai-based government officials were denied a two-year increment after they turned hostile in two corruption case trials.

The action was recommended by the Navi Mumbai anti-corruption bureau (ACB) earlier this year after their testimony as panch witnesses came under scrutiny.

The two witnesses deposing were attached to the cooperation, marketing and textile departments but they changed their testimony in court during the trial, said the agency. Officials in the agency then sought permission to inquire into their conduct to set a precedent and check the poor conviction rate in bribery cases.

The convictions though affected by various factors, are often tanked due to poor testimonies in most cases. Since the Navi Mumbai ACB was set up in 2009, only six out of total 127 cases registered have resulted in convictions in a decade.

The ACB has been spearheading a two-pronged effort to eliminate corruption at City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), police force and Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and Konkan Bhavan among others.

There have been several instances where complainants have lodged false cases with the ACB in a bid to settle a personal score. The agency now first verifies if the government servant has demanded a bribe.

This not only helps in having a watertight case but also avoids framing of wrong people.

In cases where complainants back out due to fear of the lengthy judicial process, the agency has been conducting sensitisation programmes for the public.

Every year, the agency, with the help college drama groups stages skits and road shows near railway stations and auto stands to create awareness. One such skit features a revenue department officer demanding bribe for giving a 7/12 extract from the land register which provides the owner’s name and the area of land.

“Our aim is to let people know they don’t need to pay bribes for getting documents. The skits get a good response every year and this year we have staged skits in Bhiwandi, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar areas,” added Chavan.

The bureau mainly investigates cases of demanding and offering of bribes apart from investigating the disproportionate assets accumulated by public servants.