Delhi to train citizens in sting ops
(Wall Street Journal), DELHI – The next time a corrupt official solicits a bribe to process a ration card or investigate a police complaint, Delhiites need not worry.
Instead, they can turn into investigative reporters or, as the state’s chief minister intends, anti-corruption cops.
Arvind Kejriwal last week asked residents of the national capital to conduct sting operations against officials who have demanded a bribe, prescribing the use of phones and other recording devices as anti-graft weapons.
He set out an elaborate procedure, roughly divided into three stages: train, sting, trap.
The first step is to call a helpline number – 01127357169 – and tell your tale: Who you are, which official asked for a bribe and for what. This line will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m daily.
A call to this number would not amount to a complaint, Mr. Kejriwal clarified. It would, in effect, sign you up for training.
In the second step, an advisor from the state’s anti-corruption department will get in touch to teach you the craft of the sting, from how to wire yourself up to what details to record. You will need to capture, for instance, specifics of the job for which a bribe is being sought, and how the cash is to be paid.
In the third and final step, anti-corruption officials will help set a trap to catch the allegedly corrupt officer red-handed.
These steps would ensure prosecutors have sufficient evidence during trials of corruption cases. But the real motive, Mr. Kejriwal said, is different.
“The idea is to create fear in the hearts of bribe takers,” Mr. Kejriwal said. “They should be forced to think: Is this person recording what I’m saying? We’re making every person an anti-corruption crusader.”
This initiative was among the key promises Mr. Kejriwal made after being sworn in as Delhi’s Chief Minister on December 28. His government’s push to combat corruption is not surprising.
His Aam Aadmi, or Common Man, Party was born 15 months ago out of India’s anti-corruption movement, which brought tens of thousands of middle-class Indians on to the streets.
During months of protests, Mr. Kejriwal drew attention to just how endemic graft was in India, underscored repeatedly that “it has become impossible for the common man to get anything done” and spoke about how citizens were helpless against corrupt powerful officials.
In December 4 elections, his promise to clean-up politics won his party 28 of Delhi’s 70 assembly seats, a result that stunned his opponents and analysts.
In his first speech as chief minister, Mr. Kejriwal promised a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and warned public officials about the consequences of taking bribes.
His government has said it will investigate Congress party leaders who were part of the previous administration and were allegedly involved in corruption scandals, a particularly bold promise since AAP is dependent on Congress’s support to pass bills in Delhi’s legislative assembly. Mr. Kejriwal has also promised to investigate leaders of his own party if allegations of corruption are made against them.
Last week’s move to create an anti-corruption hotline will buttress Mr. Kejriwal and his party’s growing popularity, but the initiative may hit practical roadblocks.
In a news conference, Mr. Kejriwal said his administration had worked hard to shake up the state’s nearly defunct vigilance or anti-corruption department so that his ambitious plan could get going.
He said a hiring drive would be in order if the helpline was flooded with phone calls.
The chief minister may need to start advertising: Calls to the line late Wednesday and early Thursday showed up with an engaged tone.
Clearly, Mr. Kejriwal knows this: Like with all well-intentioned programs in India, it’s the implementation that makes or breaks governments.