The corrupt will find a way

My friend and I were batchmates in the provincial civil and allied services. Though from a humble background, he exuded confidence. After joining service, his confidence turned into arrogance. His politician father-in-law got him posted at a tax collection barrier.

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One of the most honest and dreaded IAS officers of that era (1970s) was posted in the department. He would work day and night to boost its revenue and eliminate corrupt practices. He would frequently inspect the barriers, sometimes very early in the morning, and sometimes at midnight. He had got many wrongdoers suspended; criminal cases were registered against some, from whom bribe money given by the decoys was recovered. He had also ordered that any official working on any barrier would not keep more than Rs 100 in his wallet while on duty.

Once, when I was going to Ludhiana, I stopped at my friend’s office. His subordinates told me that he would arrive in a while. I made myself comfortable in his unkempt office. My friend appeared 10 minutes later with an anxious look, though feigning happiness at seeing me. After the pleasantries, he hesitantly told me that a dog was not traceable, so everyone was in panic. I asked him why a dog was making everyone jittery. He, then, shamefacedly confided almost inaudibly, ‘A Hitlerian officer has been made the head of our department. Since his joining, our bribes have almost stopped. But the sharks at the top wanted their share, come what may. A subordinate started domesticating a stray dog, who was a regular visitor here. He would feed it bread, meat and milk. About a furlong from here, there is a cattle shed of an old farmer. He would take the dog there and tie it with a chain. After some days, the plan started working. The ‘representatives’ of goods carriers would hand over the bribe to a person who was made to sit at a distance. After his pockets were full, he would go to the cattle shed and empty his pockets in the bag which was hung around the canine’s neck.’

He added, ‘The experiment was successful, and joy returned to the sullen barrier. However, this is the breeding season and the dog somehow got its chain loosened and ran away with other stray dogs. At that time, there was around Rs 45,000 in the bag around its neck!’

I had a hearty laugh at this innovative method. As I was about to leave, a fat inspector excitedly announced, ‘Sir, Casperina has come back, everything is safe.’ Casperina was the dog.

Amid my amusement, I pitied the strict officer who was probably feeling proud of his ‘victory’ over corruption.