The way Indian society
punishes the weak is remarkable. I have heard of an office where a canteen
worker was frisked on his way out of the building and found to be carrying three
chapattis in his lunch box. He was promptly removed from service! Today’s Times
of India carries the story of a CISF constable who was found having Rs 500 on
his person. The swiftness with which his case was decided and the big price he
paid for his crime are worth discussion in the light of how corrupt netas and
babus are treated.
The CISF constable mentioned above was found to
have Rs 500 on him while on duty on August 3, 2008; it was presumed that this
500 must have been earned illegally, since CISF rules require that their constables should not carry more than Rs 20 on them while on duty. On April 10, 2009, he was held guilty of taking illegal gratification and removed from service. Later, authorities took into
account his unblemished service record of 16 years and changed the punishment
to "compulsory retirement". Visit
In comparison, what do higher level employees of the
state get when found corrupt? Suspensions, transfers, or in rare cases stoppage
of a few increments! What about corrupt netas? Government permission to
prosecute can be denied or delayed. Witnesses can turn hostile or disappear.
Those who get convicted despite all this can get bail for long periods. Appeals can keep them
out of jail for a few decades. Then, if at all they get finally sentenced
during their lifetime, they can get a lenient sentence because of old age. Then
they can be let out on parole for some treatment in a five star hospital! It seems logical to me that if a constable
can be fired for Rs 500, bigwigs cheating the nation of a crore should get a
minimum of seven years RI. A chain snatcher can get rigorous imprisonment, but netas having a few dozen crores of rupees of illegally acquired wealth seem to qualify for simple imprisonment. Where is justice?
Mr Fadnavis, CM Maharashtra, saying that Government
permission should not be a prerequisite to prosecute the corrupt is a great step
forward. We will watch your governance, Mr Fadnavis, to see how you put your
brave words into practice and will count how many convictions your government
manages to get for those who perpetrated scams!
Srinivasan Ramani
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