Law catches up with corrupt ministers
Corruption, bribery, scams and scandals have currently been at the forefront of India’s political picture. While there is no doubt that they have been part of our lives since times immemorial, one cannot but agree that the rate at which they have been surfacing is disturbing to say the least -be it the 2G scam, the Commonwealth Games money laundering or the illegal mining scams that were exposed in Karnataka, where top politicians and members of the highest rungs of our bureaucracy were found guilty of unethical practices. The Indian public stayed a mute witness to events that followed as the who’s who of the political system were brought under the judicial radar. With the judiciary coming out strongly against our political office-bearers one certainly wonders if the buck will really stop here.
Telecommunications Minister A.Raja, Member of Parliament, Kanimozhi, CWG Organising Committee Chief Suresh Kalmadi, Karnataka Minister, Janardan Reddy; all high profile names in the Indian political circuit. Though these people may represent different ministries, they all stand united and in solidarity with each other in the corruption sphere. In the year 2010 - 2011 a series of investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation exposed a large number of big ticket scams where these political elite played key roles. While A. Raja and Kanimozhi are synonymous with the 2 G Spectrum scam, the mention of Kalmadi’s name brings up memories of the CWG scam and the Reddy brothers remain connected to the illegal mining cases in Karnataka . In all the above mentioned cases it was observed that the law did catch up with our corrupt ministers as they were all charge sheeted, pronounced guilty, arrested and detained. Surprisingly, even bail pleas stood rejected as the CBI Judge said, "Considering the magnitude of the crime and the fact that many of the witnesses are employees of Kalaignar TV, there is every apprehension that the witnesses may be influenced, if the accused are released on bail.” On closely examining these events the important question that looms over us is if the law has finally managed to catch up with corrupt ministers ! While Indian politicians are known to conveniently slip through loopholes skilfully, does the detention of our political honchos in the recent past indicate a ray of hope ?
Another common factor that stands out strongly in these cases is the Central Bureau of Investigation. One cannot ignore the important role played by the CBI in exposing the façade and implicating our statesmen who are heavily involved in corruption and bribery. In the context of the recent anti-corruption crusade this also gets us thinking about both the versions of the Lokpal Bill and the role of the CBI.
The CBI in its presentation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee with regard to its views on the anti-graft drafts has looked closely at how both the drafts would weaken the anti-corruption regime. While it is encouraging and empowering to see perpetrators finally behind bars, a critical aspect that the State and the Civil Society members should consider while formulating and enforcing strong anti-corruption policies is to evaluate the merits of the existing institutions and then design laws that would further strengthen them.
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