ACB helpless in IAS, IPS corruption cases

Hyderabad: Officials in the corridors of power seem to have become synonym with sleaze. And the successive governments have been turning a blind eye to the rampant corruption in high places.

At a time when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is getting ready to take on the corrupt 'babus' in connection with Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Emaar Properties and Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy's illegal mining cases, Andhra Pradesh's anti-corruption agency ' the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) ' has turned out to be toothless.

Latest statistics given by the ACB under Right to Information Act (RTI) show that a mere 57 cases were registered against the All India Service officers working in the State between January 1983 and June 2011.

Though the number of cases should be more than 60, for the reasons best known to the ACB, the agency did not mention the names and case particulars of 'some corrupt' officials.

Of the 57 cases, a majority were dropped by the government, while seven cases were withdrawn as the accused officers died at various stages of the case. This shows how red tape delayed action against the high ranking officials.

The accused officers were acquitted in two cases. The draft articles of charges are yet to be sent to the government in two cases, while trial is pending before the court in just one case. Also, the ACB is waiting for the government orders in two cases to go further, and the commissioner of enquiry is to be appointed in six cases, according to the ACB.

This clearly shows that none of these high ranking officers was given any punishment.Take the case of Mr Jannat Hussain, the former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and present Chief Information Commissioner.

The ACB registered a case against him in 1993 on the allegations of irregularities in the purchase of stationery for elections when he was the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad.

Allegations of his role in the scholarship scam were kept under the wraps by the government, sources told The Hans India. The ACB sent a final report to the government in 1994 recommending departmental action against him.

Two years later, the Vigilance Commissioner gave his advice and it took about nine months for the government to call for an explanation from Mr Hussain. After all this red tape, the verdict comes finally, dropping action against him.

The ACB did not give information related to Mr Hussain under the RTI Act. Same is the case of retired Principal Secretary C Arjun Rao. Two separate cases were registered in connection with the allegations against him.

The allegations include misconduct and conspiracy with private persons and allowing them to grab government surplus land. Allegations also include irregularities in giving various approvals. However, the cases against him were dropped.

Another classic case is that of Mr V Sarma Rao. He was accused of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, abuse of official position and corrupt practices when he worked as the district collector of Vizianagaram in 1987.

When the ACB requested permission to prosecute Mr Rao, the government instructed the investigating agency to file a final report to close the case. Two fresh inquiries were initiated during 1999-2000 against Mr Rao, when he was Commissioner of Archeology Department and the enquiry is still pending before the Commissioner of Inquiries.

A separate inquiry was initiated against him in 2000 for possession of disproportionate assets. But the governments are sitting on the file refusing to give permission for prosecution.

The government's reluctance to proceed against the bureaucrats is clearly seen in yet another case related to another former Principal Secretary D C Rosaiah.

Till 2008, the ACB was waiting for government's permission in one case, while in another the government was yet to appoint an enquiry officer to probe the allegations of misappropriation of funds by him.

He retired from the service the same year on superannuation, but the status of cases against him is not known as the ACB has not given information about him.

The government's attitude is no different when it comes to IPS officers. The Government dropped action against Mr D T Nayak, who was facing charges of possession of disproportionate assets. He has now been made the Director of AP Study Circle after his retirement.

The government also dropped the case against Mr R P Meena, who faced the allegations of collecting mammools.

It also stopped an inquiry against Additional DGP Madanlal in connection with the misappropriation of election funds. The government is yet to give permission for prosecution of former Police Commissioner Ramaswamy, less heard IPS officer K Jagannatha Rao.

Same is the case with IFS officers. The ACB registered a regular inquiry against Mr Sunder Vadana in 1999 in connection with the corruption allegations in finalisation of tenders. But, the government is yet to give permission to the ACB to prosecute the officer.

In this case too, the ACB abstained from giving information under the RTI Act. The government allowed another IFS officer Mr R Venkateswar Rao to go scot-free in a case of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, while another case is still pending against him.

However, the government punished him with reduction in pay in another case, letting him go free in disproportionate assets case.The government also dropped action against Mr S K Das and Mr M Kamal Naidu, who were holding the position of Special Secretary and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests posts respectively when the case was registered in 1996.

The progress of cases shows how the rulers just sat on the files until the accused officers' superannuation or demise.Also, there has been no case against an All India Service officer after 2007.

It was in April 2007, IPS officer J G Murali was booked for possession of disproportionate assets case in which the government is likely to drop the case.

It is learnt the powerful lobbies of the civil servants 'blackmailed' the rulers from time to time when the latter attempted to step up pressure on the civil servants by giving permission to the ACB to register cases against the corrupt officials.