CMS SAYS POLICE DEPARTMENT MOST CORRUPT

● The Indian Police Service is nation’s most corrupt department, seeing an increase in corruption of 39 per cent, says Centre for Media Studies report.

The Indian Police Service is the nation’s most corrupt department, seeing an increase in corruption of 39 per cent, according to the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) 2018 report. CMS surveyed 12 public services. Transport, housing and health/hospitals registered high levels of corruption as well.

In Telangana state, 73 per cent of households experienced demand for a bribe, or had to use contacts/middlemen to avail of public services at least once during the last one year.

The survey covered 13 states, and an estimated figure of `313 crore has been paid as bribe to the police department to get a complaint/FIR registered, `460 crore as bribe to remove name as an accused/witness and `234 crore to avoid a ticket for violating traffic rules. For 2016-17, an estimated bribe amount of `1,007 crore was paid to the police, says the report.

In less than a week, Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh M. Bhagwat ordered an inquiry into an allegation that the Special Operations Team (SOT) had taken a bribe of `4 lakh from the family of rowdy-sheeter Illyas Nawab. Nawab’s mother claimed that one Rakesh, a constable, collected `4.12 lakh from them for settling a petty issue and not invoking the Preventive Detention Act.

The mother of a minor who was gang-raped complained to the Deputy Chief Minister that Kanchanbagh inspector Aijazuddin took a bribe of `10,000 and tried to settle the case. Instead of investigating the case, he had pressurised her to take back the case and had asked her daughter to get married to the rapist.

Though suspension is the immediate action against corrupt officers, in a majority of cases it is revoked and cases booked by the ACB are closed as well. But, as this newspaper reported in January, the state home department had closed 10 cases filed by the ACB against police officers who were caught red-handed demanding and accepting bribes.

Mr Arvind Praveen Kumar, an anti-corruption activist, said, “The High Court in 2017 directed both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to constitute the State Security Commission (SSC) and Police Complaints Authority (PCA), following scores of petitions pertaining to police officials abusing common people. Despite the High Court’s direction, the two states have not established such agencies which will look into complaints filed against police officials.” Corruption in the judiciary has increased with bribes being demanded to get the next hearing date of choice and to attain a copy of the order. The total amount of bribe estimated to have been paid in one year across India is `534 crore, says CMS (India corruption study, 2018)

An estimate (data collection from courts across 13 states) reveals that `220 crore was paid to get a suitable date for a hearing and `314 was paid as a bribe to attain a copy of the order. Experts from the judicial field say one of the main reasons for corruption in the judiciary is huge pendency of cases in Indian courts. At present, more than 30 million cases are pending in courts across India.

According to Transparency International, judicial corruption can be attributed to the shortage of judges and the complex judicial procedure.

Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge S. Radhakrishna Murthy and two advocates were arrested by the ACB for accepting `7.5 lakh bribe for granting bail.

ACB raids unearthed `3.57 crore in unaccounted wealth from Hyderabad Labour Court presiding judge Mallampati Gandhi. Both judicial officers have been arrested and are under remand. Corruption is rampant in the lower courts, and some have alleged that it has reached the highest levels too. A senior judge who didn't want to be named said, “India has the world's largest backlog of cases. A weak infrastructure, chronic judicial vacancies, manual processes, a weak law and order enforcement system, delayed judgments, etc have been major contributors to corruption in judiciary.” The Mian Mishk Masjid stands on a corner at the beginning of the Purana Pul and the end of Jumerat Bazaar. So, crowds and the noise of traffic are permanent. Probably not in 1678 when it was built, but now it is difficult to cross the road or for that matter enter the masjid. Earlier, this was the route from Golconda to Karvan to Charminar and Machilipatnam.

The masjid stands in one corner of a huge quadrangle which is dirty and smelly with leaking water. The mutawalli or caretaker of the masjid, Samad Warsi, who is a Member of the Legislative Council, is quick to defend the not-soneat surroundings, saying that workers had gone to get their passbooks and collect money from the government and hence the disarray. The masjid was built by Mian Mishk, a noble in the court of Abdulla Qutb Shah. It is decorated with minarets with an inscription on top of the main gate.

There used to be hot water baths here, more like a hamam for the men. “The hamam was a big room where massages and baths were given at the back of the masjid. Now it is totally dilapidated,” said the mutawalli.

There is a wazukhana in the middle with a fountain which tinkles delicately. A huge covered verandah has been built with a staircase on the left of the water body.

Prior to that, the dominant part of the masjid would have been the two huge pillars which look like they are holding up the entire building. Glass doors with thin grills surround the front of the masjid. The furnishings are simple - just a few carpets and lights.

On the right of the main masjid is the tomb of Mian Mishk, which is well kept. An inscription on Mian Mishk’s tomb mentions that he was secretary to the king, holding charge of the royal key and of the Carnatic troops. There is a suggestion that he might have been of African origin.

Stone pillars, brackets, and sajjas typical of the time and region abound. On the left of the main tomb are many minor tombs surrounded by the serai which is now in a dilapidated condition.

Each of the inscription tablets fixed on the entrances have farmans (edicts). A copy of the firman of Sultan Abul Hasan Qutb Shah reads:

“Trusted servant of the Imperial Court, Malik Mishk, the Commander of the Carnatic troops, has been granted the honour of laying this request before those standing in the resplendent court that the income of the bazaar attached to the mosque of Malik Mishk, besides the annual grant of 80 huns (gold coin of the Deccan about 50 grams in weight, often called pagoda), as detailed in the firman...shops and stalls on both sides of the bazaar of the masjid...be graciously awarded and endowed for the expenses to be incurred in connection with the feeding of the poor, the religious ceremonies of the first ten days of Muharram and the maintenance of alawa (where incense is burnt and rites performed) and abdar khana (water closet where cold drinks are distributed to the thirsty). And the lights and carpets of the above mosque as also for similar expenses.”

On the eastern gateway there is another inscription which records the erection of a building in 1035 AH (1625 AD) during the reign of Muhammad Qutb Shah. The masjid is among the 137 heritage list of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, and now there is a board which says that it is under the Archaeological Survey of India.