Cancerous Corruption
Vikram was fond of moving around in the graveyard in the
horrifying night to catch Vetal after day-long practice as chartered accountant.
For Vikram friendship with Vetal was real education. Vetal being a spirit of
intelligent human being frustrated in its lifetime was still on the earth
posthumously to find answers to innumerable questions lingering in his mind
during his stint as human being. He developed friendship with Vikram. After
playing hide and seek game Vikram used to catch Vetal in the wee hours of
morning. Then he would put Vetal on his shoulders and tread through woods of the
graveyard. Vetal would laugh weirdly in the silence of graveyard and thunder :
“So Vikrambhai, you succeeded to catch me once again, keep
walking, don’t look back, if you speak a word I will vanish. Well, I would tell
you an episode you may find utopian. Gopal was an Assessing Officer in the
Income-tax Department. Occasionally he would take bribes from taxpayers, most of
the times under pressure from the higher ups. Otherwise he was Mr. Clean in the
Income-tax Department. At times he would revere social values. His helping
nature was known to all. But his demeanour was utter nuisance for those
indulging in rampant corruption particularly for Duryodhan, an assessing officer
having his cabin next to Gopal’s. He was always on the lookout to trap Gopal and
demolish him. So he would spy in Gopal’s activities in and off the office.
On that fateful day it was post-lunch session. Gopal was
desperate to ‘settle’ the assessment of Dhanraj. Dhanraj along with his
consultant was sitting in front of Gopal and whispering something as Gopal was
busy on the phone. In the previous hearings Gopal had detected a number of
irregularities in Dhanraj’s assessment. Finally those irregularities resulted in
additional income. Anticipating those additions, Dhanraj being a ‘seasonsed’
tax-dodger had already been hinting Gopal about his willingness to ‘comply’ with
his demand to hush up the case with reasonable additions. It was two days
before that fateful day that Gopal had agreed to settle the case for fifty
thousand, most reasonable amount of bribe for a hardcore tax-dodger like Dhanraj.
As I told you earlier, Gopal was not a hardcore corrupt
bureaucrat. Gopal finished his call and said,
“So Dhanraj, did you bring the amount ?”
“Yes Sir” replied Dhanraj.
Again the phone rang. Gopal was listening intently to the
caller on the other end. He responded,
“I will try my level best to arrange something. Don’t keep on
postponing the surgery of your son, come down to my office”.
As soon as he finished the call his assistant peeped in and
informed.
“Sir there is a call from bada sab“
While getting out of the chair Gopal said,
“Dhanaraj, I will be back in 10 minutes”
Gopal left the cabin. En route he met Duryodhan who was just
returning back to his cabin. They just greeted each other. As usual Duryodhan
addressed him sarcastically “How are you Dharmaraj ?” Gopal did not respond
verbally, he just chuckled nervously. Driven by suspicion and hatred Duryodhan
intruded in Gopal’s cabin. He saw Dhanraj along with his consultant and
overheard their whispering about how reasonable the ‘amount’ was. Dhanraj being
‘old customer’, Duryodhan greeted him with smile.
“What’s up Dhanraj ?” asked Duryodhan.
“My case is selected for scrutiny Sir” responded Dhanraj.
“Any trouble” queried Duryodhan.
“No trouble Sir, the case will be over today only”said
Dhanraj.
” How much ?” Duryodhan.
“Very reasonable” Dhanraj.
Duryodhan got the required ‘ammunition’ to demolish
‘Dharmaraj’ Gopal, he left the cabin hurriedly. Gopal was still with Bada Sab
nearabout half an hour after Duryodhan’s exit. Dhanraj and his consultant were
anxiously waiting for Gopal’s arrival. There was a knock on the door and an aged
person in his sixties entered the cabin.
“Where is Mr. Gopal ?” he asked with bewildered look at
Dhanraj and his consultant.
“Sir has gone to Bada Sab” Dhanraj replied.
The aged person was about to ask the next question, when
Gopal entered in the cabin and hurriedly sank in the chair. He asked the aged
person to take a seat.
“So Dhanraj, you’ve brought the money ?” asked Gopal.
“Yes Sir” Dhanraj replied.
“Hand over that money to Mr. Sudam (the aged person). Let me
tell you in brief. After two hours from now his son aged about 14 will be
operated for heart ailment, the only hope of Sudam and being retired person he
is not in a position to pay for the operation on his own” explained Gopal. The
moment the envelope containing the money was being handed over by Dhanraj to
Sudam, two persons barged into the cabin.
“Don’t move, stay where you are” ordered one of the two.
“We are from Anti-Corruption Bureau” said one. Gopal realised
that he was caught red handed, but he did not lose his cool. Quickly he
recovered from the shock and requested,
“Sir I am guilty of accepting bribe from Dhanraj, but Sir
please let Mr. Sudam go with the money. I am here to face your interrogation.”
Duryodhan, the protagonist of the raid of ACB, could not
control his excitement and joy. He deliberately came out of his cabin to watch
the ‘demolition drama’. Meanwhile the news of the raid spread like wild fire.
So Vikarmbhai, my question, how do you reckon the acts of
Gopal and Duryodhan ?”
“Vetalbhai, legally speaking Gopal is guilty of accepting bribe, he cannot plead social cause behind the bribe since the Goddess of justice is blind. However socially I still hold Duryodhan guilty of manipulating the law to demolish Gopal who by his conduct invoked Duryodhan’s conscience. He manipulated the law for his own convenience.
Apparently one may appreciate Duryodhan for his alertness to unearth corruption. Vetalbhai, you will agree with me that persons like Gopal are always in minority. Further, a manipulator of law is more dangerous than an occasional offender of law in the society.”
“Vikrambhai, you have broken the silence. I am vanishing” again Vetal’s laugh was echoing in the graveyard.
