Number of traps by ACB drops, but cases disposed of highest in 2014

JAIPUR: The state police's anti-corruption bureau (ACB) trapped fewer government employees last year, but improved its rate of cases' disposal. The agency carried out 267 traps in 2014, compared to 362 in 2013. As per the ACB records, apart from 267 traps, 27 cases of disproportionate wealth and 209 cases of misuse of office were registered last year, taking the total number of cases to 503.The number was 608 in 2013.
The number of case disposal was highest in 2014. The agency disposed of as many as 531 cases by either filing chargesheet or a final report in the court. The number was 397 in 2013, 332 in 2012 and 352 in 2011.
ACB officials said that the focus was to organize traps and register FIRs after evaluating merits of the evidence so that the cases can stand in the court. ACB conducted videography of the traps last year to strengthen cases against accused officials. Videography was conducted in the trap that led to Kota SP Satyaveer Singh's arrest and that of the chairman of Sawai Madhopur municipality, Kamlesh Jaliea, who was arrested after ACB caught him red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh.
When contacted, DG, ACB Manoj Bhatt told TOI, "We have a serious shortage of staff, so there could have been some drop in the number of traps, but our focus was to use the available staff to cut the pendency of cases in which we succeeded to a great extent. We carried out drives specifically to bring down pendency of cases. Nearly 49% posts are vacant currently. We are taking steps to fill the vacancies with the government's help."
On receiving a complaint about corruption, the ACB judges its merit. If the complaint is found prima-facie genuine, a preliminary investigation is conducted. After preliminary investigation, the ACB registers an FIR if the complaint is found true. If it's not found true, then the agency disposes it of by sending it to the department concerned for interdepartmental action. It can also forward it to the head of the department concerned if the ACB thinks that the complaint holds ground, but there are not enough evidences to prosecute the accused officer.
As per ACB records, the number of complaints in which preliminary investigation was registered dropped to 57 in 2014 from 199 in 2013 and 269 in 2012. In 2014, the pendency of corruption complaints which were under consideration for preliminary investigation from earlier years was 392, while 57 fresh complaints were received. Of the total 449 complaints in 2014, FIRs were registered in 71 complaints. Eight were sent to the concerned department for disposal, while 27 were forwarded to department head for action. Nearly 266 complaints under consideration for preliminary investigation were pending by the end of 2014.
The arrest of IPS officer and former Kota SP Satyaveer Singh and JMC CEO Lalchand Aswal were among some of the ACB's achievements.
Achievements
Year Cases registered Disposal
2010407351
2011516352
2012567332
2013608397
2014503531