DNA: Mumbai: Monday, June 13, 2016.
The
anti-corruption bureau (ACB) (Mumbai range) has started open and discreet
enquiries in only 6.67% of the total complaints it has received from January
2013 to March 2016. This information was provided under the Right to
Information Act.
The ACB
mainly probes officers against whom complaints of corruption have been filed.
As per the details provided, the ACB received 7,675 complaints in the period of
January 2013 to March 2016. Of the total complaints received, it ordered open
and discreet enquiries in only 512 cases.
Though none
of those cases that were started were closed without any action, FIRs were
registered in only seven of the cases. The total number of open and discreet
enquiries in the same period that are still pending those in which any kind of
enquiry is yet to start stood at 236. The RTI application was filed by Charni
Road-based Jeetendra Ghadge.
In his
application, Ghadge had sought to know the enquiry details, the assets details
filed by the officers, the names of officers who were suspended and details of
officers who were transferred out of the ACB before their tenures were over.
While details
of those who were suspended and those who did not file their assets details was
not provided, the public information officer said that 12 officers mainly
police inspectors were transferred before their tenure was over. Almost all
were transferred within a year of being appointed, with one officer transferred
in as little as seven days.
"A total
of 7,675 complaints clearly means that there is a serious problem of corruption
in Mumbai and people are filing complaints. Unfortunately, the ACB is indulging
in burking (avoiding registering cases) and only media-hyped cases get
registered. This is the main reason why there is no fear of the ACB among
junior-level officals," said Ghadge.
When dna
contacted Satish Mathur, director general of the ACB, he said: "Off the
cuff, I cannot say. You ask the people who are here." Keshav Patil,
additional commissioner of police (Mumbai range), did not answer dna's calls.
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