• I Paid A Bribe
• 13 years ago
• 1640 views

Paid bribe outside the passport office on ********** road

• Passport
• Reissue of Passport
• Paid INR 4,000

In 2008 I accidentally put my passport in the washing machine. I used to live in London then. I immediately sent the damaged passport to the British high commission asking them if the passport is valid. They got back saying the passport is a little faded but the microchip and other documents within it are fine. I travelled to 13 different countries with that passport thereafter. When I moved back to my home town Coimbatore I realised my passport was full so I applied for additional pages. On seeing my passport the officer who was checking the documents started shouting at me as if I had committed a crime, saying how dare I damage national property (which happens to be my passport) and who gives me the right bla bla. He asked me to pay 7500rs as penalty and asked me to bring additional documents. After about 2 days of standing in queues, waiting outside offices and negotiation I realised that its better to pay the penalty as it is a fine imposed on me for my mistake. When I went to pay the officer asked me to ********** him on ********** road outside the passport office at lunch time. He was there on time and asked me to pay 5000 to him and his senior colleagues so that I can save 2500 on the overall expense. I finally paid 4000 and then he took me inside during non working hours and signed off my documents. He said that he will make sure that my passport arrives on time without any hassles. A couple of weeks later he called me and said that my passport was on its way and about 4 hours later it arrived! Now this is what I call customer service!