Past few days I have encountered with some situations where I had faced the corrupt side of Indian Police. I have been openly demanded for bribe money in a manner that shows the fearless attitude of corrupt officers.
The latest incident happened on Delhi-Gurgaon express highway. I was heading towards the toll gate unaware of the fact that “two wheelers” are not allowed on that particular area of express highway. One of the traffic police inspector indicated me to stop and to park my vehicle aside. I parked my bike on the side of the express highway and thought they might be checking the papers of the vehicle.
By the time, he stopped 4-5 other two wheelers also. He asked us to show the RC of our vehicle and I showed him. One of the guy was not carrying the RC. The traffic police inspector told me that I have to pay the challan because I was driving on the express highway. Immediately he said
“Will you pay 1100 Rupees challan or would prefer to pay me a little less?”
Me: “how much you will take?”
Inspector: “I will take 500 rupees”
Me: “But I will not pay you 500 rupees”
Inspector: “So you have to pay Rupees 1100 challan”
Me: “Ok I will prefer to pay the challan”
Inspector: “But how much you can pay to me?”
Me: “Thought for a while and said not more than 200-300”
Inspector: “Immediately settled at 300 Rupees”
Me: “Got my purse out of pocket and ready to pay him 300 Rupees”
Immediately one guy offered him some money and told him that he doesn’t has the RC.
Inspector: “No I will bound your vehicle. You have to go to the court”
Guy: Please let me go; “While showing money to the inspector”
Inspector: “Counted the money and said I will not let you go”
The inspector was hoping for more money from the guy and kept on saying “No” or may be he didn’t want rest of us to see how low he can go.
In the mean time he took money from me and rest of others and again involved himself with that guy who was not carrying his vehicle papers. While coming back to my bike, I turned back and saw the inspector accepting money from that guy. He again started his cycle by stopping two wheelers that were coming from express way side and asking them to pay him.
This was just one of my experience with the corrupt Indian system, in fact the latest one. Previously one of the police man asked me to get him a bottle of alcohol because my pollution certificate had expired 4 days ago. Even, on that particular day the SHO was involved in this whole corrupt business. He asked the policeman if everything is going fine when the policeman was counting money he took from me. This incident took place in DLF Phase 2, Gurgaon.
Now you will blame me to promoting corruption by bribing these corrupt people. But there is a reason why I prefer to bribe these people rather than asking them for challan. And here is the reason:
I couldn’t find the name plate of that police man, probably he might have detached it from his uniform to save his neck.
The only thing I was missing in both the occasions was a capturing device. May be a camera phone have helped me to click those corrupt official. So I have decided to buy a Multimedia phone and next time would try to expose those people with a proof.
If you have encountered with any such corrupt system, please share your experience with us to expose the corrupt system in our country and help make the system hassle free.
Labels: India Blog