Stings landing more officials in jail

BY Gyan Varma| IN Media Practice | 23/01/2006

A 53.84 percent increase in the number of government employees who were convicted in 2005 for misuse of office is being partly attributed to TV sting operations.

Gyan Varma

Indo-Asian News Service

A spate of media-led sting operations has resulted in an increase in the number of government employees lodged in Tihar Jail, say police.

Compared to 2004, there has been a 53.84 percent increase in the number of government employees who were convicted in 2005 for misuse of office. Of the 295 professionals convicted last year, 201 were either from police or from other government departments.

?The increase is due to media sting operations with many of the government servants being convicted on corruption charges and misuse of office,? Tihar`s Director General (Prisons) R.P. Singh told IANS.

He added that of the 201 government employees, 50 were police personnel and 151 from sales tax, customs and other government agencies that deal with the public.

In 2004, 130 government employees were convicted, while in 2005 the figure has gone up to 201. A total of 295 professionals were convicted last year whereas in 2004 the total number of professionals sentenced was 270.

?This increase is an indication of the level of corruption in government departments and society. All these people are part of the society we live in; therefore they signify the level of corruption around us,? said Singh.

A sting operation by the Aaj Tak channel in March last year resulted in some officials of the sales tax department being convicted. Singh said Tihar Jail itself did not remain untouched by corruption. Around 15 of the jail staff, including an officer of the Indian Police Service, were arrested, dismissed from duty and given compulsory retirement for corruption and misuse of office. ?All these jail staff were caught on camera by the same news channel when they were promising family members of inmates that they could fix a meeting between them if they were given money,? he added.

He said 63 prison staff members were charge-sheeted in 2005 for misdemeanour. Two of the jail warders were caught red-handed while smuggling narcotics inside the jail premises. An inquiry was also conducted when 13 jail inmates managed to flee the jail premises.

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