Frequently Asked Questions
What are the steps taken by the Anti Corruption Bureau to minimize corruption?
The steps taken by Anti-corruption Bureau to minimize corruption are as follows:-
• To conduct raids on specific complaints to trap corrupt officials and touts taking bribe red handed.
• To mount surveillance on the basis of specified or general information against officials/departments dealing with public.
• To recommend departmental action against delinquent officials, on the basis of findings of enquiries
• To study problems of systematic corruption and suggest measures to control such systematic corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau mounts surveillance on the basis of specific or general information against a specific employee or a public dealing department.
What type of cases are dealt by Anti Corruption Bureau?
Mostly Three main type of cases are dealt by Anti corruption Bureau.
(a) Trap Case:-This is a case where a complainant lodges written complaint regarding demand of illegal gratification by any public servant. After being satisfied about genuineness of the complaint, ACB officials along with complainant and official witnesses proceed to the appointed place where the public servant has decided to accept the demanded amount. The public servant is trapped while accepting the demanded tainted bribe money from the complainant. In this case presence of the complainant or his representative is a must.
(b) Disproportionate asset cases:-Whenever, any public servant acquires property beyond his means he is said to have assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. “Known sources of income” means income received from any lawful source and such receipt has been intimated in accordance with the provisions of any law, rules or orders for the time being applicable to a public servant. In these type of cases, identity of the informant is kept secret and is never exposed at any stage of the inquiry, investigation or trial. Appropriate rewards are given to the informants where such information so furnished leads to detection/seizure of illegal Properties and registration of criminal cases against corrupt public servants.
(c) Miscellaneous cases:- This category of cases covers a wide variety of corruption by public servants like show of undue favour to a particular party in award of contracts, purchase of items at higher rates, misappropriation of Government funds by showing false fabricated purchases, forged documents, illegal appointments, execution of substandard work etc. thereby causing undue pecuniary advantage without any public interest. In such cases also the identity of the informant is kept secret and not exposed at any stage of enquiry, investigation or trial.
What are various ways to lodge a complaint?
Informant/complainant may lodge written complaint by giving details of corruption practices of a corrupt public servant personally at Anti Corruption Police Stations at District Level or at ACB Headquarter at Panchkula. If he wishes, He can also send his complaint by various ways:-
- website: acb.haryana.gov.in
- Toll Free Telephone Number:- 1064
- Control Room No:- 1800-180-2022
- WhatsApp No: – 9417891064
- Email Id:- acb@hry.nic.in
- Also, written complaints (both typed/handwritten) can be sent to Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Plot No. 1, Sector 23, Panchkula-134109, Haryana, India.
Whether the identity of the informant is kept secret?
Anti corruption Bureau Department keeps the identity of the informant secret in almost all cases. However in trap cases only, complainant or his representative is required to submit a report against a public servant in order to prosecute him for demanding and accepting illegal gratification.
How does the department identify corrupt government officials?
To identify the corrupt Govt. officials, the Bureau takes recourse to discreet watch, surveillance, open source information and complaints received from various sources, sometimes even from anonymous and pseudonymous complaints having specific information. This is followed by surveillance or specific enquiries.
What type of surveillance is done over departments?
When the Bureau receives some information regarding corrupt practices prevalent in some Govt. Deptt. or against any particular officials, ACB mounts surveillance over their activities to collect the evidences to link the suspect with the crime. Surveillance is mounted discreetly. After collecting sufficient evidences, which could crystallize the information a report is prepared and further action is initiated.
How does the ACB deal with the cases of corruption in their own department?
While posting the officers in Anti-Corruption Bureau, care is taken to short list only those officers who have unblemished service record. Secondly, supervisory officers maintain strict vigil over the activities of the staff working in Anti-Corruption Bureau. The reports of the Enquiry officers and Investigating Officers are evaluated with the help of law officer and suspect findings, if any are viewed seriously and suitable departmental action has to be taken.
What is trap? Who provides Money for laying trap?
It is a chalked out plan which is designed and executed to catch a corrupt public servant while demanding/ accepting illegal gratification from a person in order to do or get his official work done. Whenever a complainant approaches ACB with a complaint of demand of bribe by any Govt. Official, a case under relevant sections of PC Act is registered against the tainted official. A team comprising officials of ACB along with a witness, after following a prescribed legal procedure, lays trap upon the alleged officials to catch him red handed while accepting bribe. On completion of investigation, the official is prosecuted in the Special court, designated for P.C. Act cases.
Bribe amount which is demanded by the corrupt public servant is arranged and brought by the complainant which is utilized during laying of trap and same is reimbursed after successful execution of trap at the request of the complainant to SHO, PSs of ACB.
Can ACB suo-motto take up trap case?
In order to initiate trap against a public servant, there should be a complaint from any person from whom bribe is demanded. ACB cannot take up trap case suo motto.
The ACB generally deals with the big corruption cases. How does the bureau help the citizens who face corruption at every step of their daily life?
ACB not only deals with corruption cases of big magnitude but it also frequently takes action against those officials who are working at the cutting edge level like subordinate Police officers, Junior Engineers, Clerks and touts etc. The Bureau have extended relief to the common people by registering cases against touts operating in various public-dealing departments, particularly, Transport, PWD, Forest and Revenue Departments.