Graft cases: ACB nears last year's total in 4 months

Highest arrests from Mumbai Police: 20
SAGNIK CHOWDHURY

A N alarmingly high number of government officials in the city have been
arrested while accepting bribes in the last four months by the Mumbai unit
of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

The number of trap cases registered by the ACB in the first four months of
this year is close to the total number of cases registered by it last year.
According to figures for the current year provided by the ACB, a total of 30
trap cases have already been registered till April 30. Thirty-one such cases
were registered in the whole of last year.

The ACB has arrested 44 government employees in trap cases so far, as
compared to a total of 55 arrests in 2006. The highest number of arrests
have been from the Mumbai Police, with as many as 20 personnel this year.
"It is not as if there has been a change in policy, and that we are looking
to register more cases. I believe that the substantial increase in number of
cases is largely due to more awareness amongst the people about means to
tackle corruption," said Special Inspector General of Police, ACB, Hemant
Karkare.

"They know where to lodge a complaint, and also how the ACB takes action.
This has come about due to awareness campaigns organised by us, such as the
Mumbai Pact Against Corruption, conducted towards the end of last year.
Also, a toll free number for complaints was launched by the Deputy CM," said
Karkare.

He added: "Trust between the public and ACB has also increased, owing to our
past traps. After a number of high-profile cases highlighted by the media,
people are more willing to come forward with complaints." The ACB believes
that innovations like mobile patrol vans have also helped greatly. "The idea
behind the van was to reach out to citizens who could not reach our office.
The van is parked outside important government buildings, and pamphlets
about corruption and the ACB are distributed. The ACB's number is displayed
on the van. People can approach the patrol officer for lodging a complaint,"
said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, ACB, Vilas Tupe.


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