Law enforcement agencies are struggling to cope with the sheer number of corruption cases at their hands. While 21,791 people have been arrested across the country on corruption charges in the last five years from 2008-2010, only 21% or 4,577 have been convicted, an analysis of information provided by the Union home ministry and Parliamentary responses shows. In addition, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered another 3,006 cases taking the total number of its pending cases to 7,157 until 2012.
Corruption is rampant in the country and impacts every aspect of life, right from getting admission to school to securing licenses and permits for business. India consistently ranks high on global corruption index with Transparency International’s 2012 Corruption Perception Index ranking it at 94 with Benin, Colombia, Djibouti, Greece, Moldova, Mongolia, and Senegal.
With corruption forming the nerve center of government and public functioning, as many as 1,202 gazetted officers were found to be involved in corrupt practices across the country in 2012; of these, just 88 were dismissed from services.
The worrying trend of pending cases is reflected in the CBI’s report card as well. Of the more than 7,000 pending cases, at least 182 cases have been pending for more than 20 years, 457 cases have been pending for over 15 years while 876 cases have been pending for more than 10 years. In Maharashtra alone, the CBI has 776 pending cases, of which 75 cases go back more than 15-22 years. Similarly, in Delhi, of the 1,049 cases, 83 have been pending for 15-22 years. Those convicted in corruption cases have mostly been low-rung officials and non-influential commoners while just a handful are politicians, senior bureaucrats, high-profile businessmen and police officials.
Conviction rates are low for a variety of reasons, such as poor investigation, sluggish judicial system and ineffective law enforcement. The Whistle Blower’s Protection Bill and Public Procurement Bill pending in the parliament should be passed immediately to rectify and strengthen anti-corruption laws, said Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, director (IP) Transparency International India.
“The supply chain of corruption is yet to be addressed in this country. Besides, shoddy investigations result in acquittal of most of the people booked under anti-corruption laws,” said Mishra.
In numbers
21,791: people arrested between 2008-2012
4,577: people convicted
3,006: cases registered by CBI from 2008-2012
7,157: cases pending with CBI
182: cases pending for more than 20 years
457: cases pending for more than 15 years
876: cases pending for more than 10 years
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