How much money our corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and industrialists have stashed away in Swiss Banks? The estimate about Indians holding money in secret Swiss Bank accounts is around 1,500 billion dollars. Translated into rupees, it comes to some Rs. 6,75,000 crore at the foreign exchange rate of Rs. 45. Put differently, if India's deposits in Swiss Banks were to be distributed among 45 crore people (out of our country's 100 + crore) each one will get Rs. one lakh.

Lok Ayukta sleuths have done it again. Yes, they have been doing it periodically, no doubt. But what they did on October 22 was more disturbing (both to the tax - payer and those who were trapped, for their own reasons) than the earlier raids.

For one thing, the number of rogue, corrupt government officials this time was 13. An unlucky number indeed for the victims and lucky number for the Lok Ayukta!

These 13 enemies of our society are well - paid by our government and well - protected also. Well, when the government itself is corrupt, it is not surprising. The Lok Ayukta is doing a thankless job which is also a futile exercise going by the conviction rate of these officials caught with their pants down.

Take the example of this bloodsucker of a Dracula called Rangaswamaiah, a humble Works Inspector of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). It was Lok Ayukta's second call on this worthy official. Earlier, in 1996 his houses were raided and he was booked. But God Almighty had a different plan for him, different from that of Lok Ayukta. He went to the condescending Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT), got a stay and continued happily in the Department looting the common man in the spirit of “business as usual”!

Question is: Is it possible to bribe the KAT members? Lok Ayukta should tell.

He amassed more wealth and this time, after 12 long years, he was caught again by the Lok Ayukta, may be, only to be saved by the KAT like in 1996. It appears he had joined the department as a Group - D employee. Reading this report of raids by Lok Ayukta and what would come of it finally, I could not but recall the words of Lok Ayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde while addressing a select gathering in city on 2. 9. 2008 where I was present. He spoke of a person who was riding a cycle (not motor cycle) in 2004 and in 2008 is flying around in helicopter. Even Rockfeller did not get rich that quick. But in India it is possible. He reminded the audience that giving bribe is also a crime as much as receiving bribe. Justice Hegde says corruption is a greater evil than a criminal act. While a crime impacts an individual or a family, corruption impacts the whole society.

There are two types of corruption:

1) That which takes place within the ambit of law. One pays bribe to get his job done. There is a giver and a receiver of bribe. This usually happens in government offices. For example, take the government hospital. You bribe for admission, you bribe for allotment of bed, you bribe for the doctor to examine you, you bribe the ward boy and finally when you die in the hospital, bribe is to be paid, this time by your dear and near ones, to take the dead body out of the hospital!

Here you can give a complaint to the authorities or the Lok Ayukta. Hence there is a complainant.

2) In the second type, corruption takes place outside the ambit of law. Both the giver of bribe and receiver of bribe are willing partners. To use Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani's phrase “partners in progress”. This is called collusive corruption. Both act against the law, both stand to benefit from this collusive corruption and, therefore, there is no complainant here.

This happens in contract works like building of bridges, dams, roads, purchase of goods and services, appointments, transfers etc. This is the most dangerous form of corruption.

This kind of corruption can be stopped through appropriate laws and procedures. It is, however, doubtful if this form of corruption can be controlled at all because it touches upon the lack of patriotic spirit of the parties, the Ministers, Legislators, government officers and the contractors. They will place their self - interest above that of the country's.

Conducting raids on corrupt government officers is very difficult because the umbilical cord of these officers is attached to the government (which is also corrupt Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, senior IAS and IPS officers who are always sympathetic to these corrupt officers), says Justice Hegde. Otherwise, how do you think Rangaswamaiah of BBMP mentioned above escaped punishment after being caught? After all, to prosecute these corrupt officials, Lok Ayukta has to ask government's permission. And the same corrupt government must give the permission. Will it? In a large number of cases, permission is never given or the government will delay giving permission by five years or more. By then charge sheet will change, evidences will turn pale and even vanish and witnesses will have either died or lost memory of the incident of the case.

Surprisingly, Lok Ayukta does not need permission to prosecute the person who gives bribe! So by delaying sanction to prosecute the corrupt official caught by the Lok Ayukta, the government ensures delay in delivery of justice and possible acquittal. Moreover, under our existing criminal law the benefit of doubt goes to the culprit and as such the corrupt can easily beat the law in the law courts.

Fali S. Nariman, the famous Supreme Court Advocate and a jurist, has made some suggestions to overcome this problem, particularly in Anti - Terrorism Act. He has suggested shifting the burden of proving innocence on the accused. If the same principle is made applicable to corrupt officials, it will help in getting their conviction, feels Justice Santosh Hegde. But in these days of corrupt law-makers, is it ever possible?

My perception of our law - makers is that they are just capable of getting elected in the elections but are unfit to make laws and be our rulers.

It is not surprising therefore that Justice Santosh Hegde wondered how could this government talk of taking administration to the doorsteps of our citizens. "The government may be taking corruption to the doorsteps of our people instead," he remarked cynically. So, dear government officers and employees, Lok Ayukta or IPC or God, you have nothing to fear. And nothing to lose also except bribes for a few days or months when caught. Afterwards, everything will be like before. Smile please.

Let me share my own recent experience.

A society of good Samaritans decided to build a school for the poor of the locality. They pooled their savings, raised donations, and got a CA site from MUDA allotted.

Construction started and an MP was kind enough to give Rs. 3 lakh from the MP fund. As per procedure, payment is made in stages and the request was made for the first installment after inspection of the work by the engineer concerned. So the visits to the Corporation office, where it was processed, started. One – two – three – four – five – six – seven – eight! Then I was requested to call the MP himself. I must have made half – a - dozen calls to MP's PA and to MP himself. I was asked to go and collect.

To cut a long story short without giving names and details, let me say the cheque was finally collected without paying bribe.

Justice Hegde, my sympathies are with you.