7,700 complaints lodged with ACB in 3 years, but only 7 FIRs

Times of India‎‎: Mumbai: Sunday, June 12, 2016.

Of about 7,700 complaints filed by Mumbaikars with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) over the last three-and-a-half years, most appear to be vague or bogus. The ACB has found only about 500 plaints (more than 6%) substantial enough to order an inquiry, shows the reply to an RTI query.

Information got under RTI by activist Jeetendra Ghadge states the Mumbai division of ACB received 7,675 complaints from the public between January 1, 2013, and April 28, 2016, but only 512 open or discreet inquiries were ordered and subsequently seven FIRs registered. As many as 236 open and discreet inquiries were still found pending with the ACB during the same period.

Ghadge alleges a lackadaisical approach on the part of a section of ACB officials in taking complaints forward.

However, director general of ACB Satish Mathur said he was ready to put all complaints received in public domain so that people know if they are worth taking forward. "I am ready if anyone proved they were worth it... Some of these complaints are copies of grievances simply marked to the ACB," he said.

Another senior ACB official said they have no option but to give up on vague applications which are mostly bogus. "Mostly, we forward such complaints to departments concerned as in rare cases we find corroborative material," said the official.

However, Ghadge blames it on ignorance on the part of a section of ACB officials as according to him, thousands of applications were sent to the respective departments from where complaints originated.

Ghadge reminded of his old RTI wherein ACB had sent back as many as 4,781 corruption complaints to the departments concerned between September 2009 and November 2013, a move that implied that the departments and colleagues of the accused were also the judges. Remarks of department heads or departmental probes are then considered while deciding the line of action which may adversely affect investigations.

It may be mentioned that the Bombay high court had directed the ACB to probe every complaint instead of merely passing it on to the departments where the alleged corruptions have taken place. While ACB officials justify the act, saying that sending back matters to departmental vigilance squads was as per conduct, ex-police officers and experts attributed the situation to apathy of the home department who they said did not want to the ACB force by increasing staff and machinery.