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Journalism of Courage
Anti-Corruption agencies commonly use the ‘trap’ as a method to nab corrupt officials red-handed who accept bribes. The operation is done in the presence of independent witnesses known as panchas. Usually, officials from other departments are called in to act as panchas, one of whom is made to accompany the complainant so that he can witness the taking of the bribe. But corrupt officials are a clever lot, and only if anti-corruption officials are one up on them can they hope to catch them.
There was one inspector of police who, although corrupt, had evaded the ‘trap’ by insisting that the complainant came alone. Over the years he got so emboldened that he dared the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials to catch him red-handed. Unfortunately for him, an opportunity soon presented itself. He had demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000, from the complainant in a cheating case in order to expedite the arrest of the accused persons. And, as was his practice, he asked the complainant to come alone to deliver the money.
When the aggrieved person approached the local ACB unit to lay a trap, the officials were faced with the same problem: how could a pancha be made to accompany the complainant without arousing suspicion? As the ACB officials racked their brains over the issue, one man came up with a suggestion which, although not foolproof, was worth a try.
At the appointed time, the complainant along with the pancha was sent to the police inspector to pay the bribe. Seeing the pancha, the officer — for a pregnant moment — hesitated but obviously his greed overcame his sense of caution. He demanded the bribe and, when the money was handed over, the ACB officials swooped down, catching him red-handed.
He was shaken for a moment but lost none of his bravado. In the manner of a wounded warrior he told the ACB officials, “You had to do a Shikhandi on me. I never thought you would use a lady as a pancha. I thought she was his (complainant’s) wife,” alluding to the Mahabharata, in which Shikhandi, the female re-incarnated as male, was used as a shield by Arjuna, to defeat Bhishma in the great war because the latter had vowed not to attack a woman-turned-man.
