New Delhi

07 June 2018 01:36 IST

Most core functions of the anti-graft unit show stark reduction over the past three years; its helplines have received no calls so far this year

Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has in the last three years become a shell of what it was envisioned as, a Right to Information (RTI) reply received from the anti-corruption unit has revealed.

Data provided in the RTI reply revealed that there was hardly any aspect of the core functions of the ACB that did not register a stark reduction till March 31 this year. When compared with its current average arrest rate, the ACB was catching more alleged corrupt public servants a decade ago than it is now.

From manpower to the number of complaints received, to their conversion into preliminary enquiries (PEs) and/ or FIRs, in addition to the number of allegedly tainted government officials arrested by it for graft, all showed a decline.

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A senior serving official in the anti-graft unit justified the dip citing its “modified role and responsibilities” between mid-2014 and 2015.

A senior police officer, who formerly served in the unit, said the ACB was now exhibiting the “brunt of having its wings clipped by the Ministry of Home Affairs over the years”.

Of the 837 complaints registered for enquiry by it between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2018, the ACB registered PEs in 6.81% or 57 complaints. Cases were registered in only 7.05% or 59 cases and the unit arrested only 49 government servants, according to the RTI reply.

Data available on the ACB’s website showed that the anti-graft unit, as per a three-year average between 2006 and 2008, had an arrest rate of 100 persons per year.

From January 1, 2015, to March 31 this year, the figure reduced to around 12.

The ACB did not make a single arrest either in 2017 nor till March 31 this year.

Against a sanctioned strength of 119, the ACB has only 78 personnel and is functioning with 65% manpower, said the RTI reply. Most vacancies, a former official posted in the unit said, existed at posts traditionally associated with investigative duties such as Assistant Commissioner of Police (only two out of nine posts filled), Inspectors (20 out of 30 posts filled) and Sub-Inspectors (13 of 27 posts filled).

“The dip in manpower is mainly because more administrative, or paper-related, work is now undertaken at the unit instead of investigation. That is why space has been created for more Assistant Sub-Inspectors than ACPs and vacancies are allowed to fester in ranks such as Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors,” said a former official who served at the unit.

The unit’s public connect, which was at its peak in 2015 when its anti-corruption helpline number 1031 debuted, too has dwindled.

The number of complaints received on 1031, in addition to another helpline number which was launched before its predecessor was shut down, fell from a combined figure of 709 in 2015 to 33 in 2016 and just two in 2017.

No calls have been received till March 31 this year.

“The helpline began dying a slow death as soon as a parallel one was launched to counter it and no action was taken on the complaints already registered on it,” the officer added.

In April 1975, the ACB was created as a police station with jurisdiction “all over the National Capital Territory of Delhi” and mandated with the investigation of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988).

In addition to the power to conduct “enquiries against public servants of the Delhi government and departments under the L-G”, the ACB, till mid-2015, had the power to probe graft complaints against officials posted in departments such as the Delhi Police and the DDA, if the instances of alleged graft unfolded within the borders of the Capital.

New directives by MHA

From mid-2014 to 2015, however, back-to-back directives by the MHA curtailed its ambit and power to investigate graft complaints against officials employed by the Central government.

“The dip in manpower, complaints and PEs, cases and arrests is because the ACB is no longer investigating Union government employees and is a logical result given its new brief. A reduction in the number of departments it can have under its scanner will obviously lead to fewer complaints and the action taken on these,” the ACB official added.