- Bribe Fighter
- 10 years ago
- 1994 views
My wallet was picked on a bus from Majestic to Koramangla. Apart…
My wallet was picked on a bus from Majestic to Koramangla. Apart from cash and a couple of cards, it had my original drivers' license (DL). So I got off near the Koramangla 8th Block police station, borrowed 10 rs from a passerby, accessed the internet from a printshop next to the police station, printed out a copy of my DL and went to file an FIR and obtain a lost certificate.
The sub-inspector (whose name I was unable to note) was taking complaints and there were a long line of people who were trying to lodge FIRs for abuse, attempt to molest, pickpocketing, and other petty theft. The inspector in charge was also supervising the proceedings. The sub-inspector refused to file almost all FIRs without a commensurate bribe. In my case, he refused alltogether to take a stolen complaint and asked that I settle for a certificate issued saying my DL was lost. I wrote out a letter saying that my DL was lost, attached my print out, and requested him to attest the same. The sub-inspector then said that the charges for this were Rs. 100. I asked why he was charging so much, would he get the letter attested by a notary for that money? The sub-inspector then ignored me and took money from the other complainants. They refused to sign my letter until I paid up, but apart from being not willing to pay the bribe, I had no money either. I had some petty change from the borrowed money, and they forced me to part with it and let me go with a signature. I asked to see the inspector to complain, but the inspector was unaffected and watching the proceedings.
It is absolutely unacceptable to harass the public in the name of providing a mere written copy of a complaint. If this is the state of registering complaints, only can only imagine what would be the state of resolving them.