In a shocking revelation, government officials in Gujarat are reportedly offering an EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) option for bribe payments, aiming to “reduce the burden” on victims of corruption, as per a report by The Times of India. This practice, inspired by banking systems, has become a common method for dishonest officials to extract bribes from economically weaker citizens.
In one notable instance, a person implicated in an SGST bogus billing scam was asked to pay a bribe of ₹21 lakh. However, recognizing the financial strain, officials offered an EMI option of ₹2 lakh per month for nine months. Similarly, a police officer in the cybercrime unit demanded a ₹10 lakh bribe but allowed payment in four installments.
This system has also trickled down to local governance. In Surat, a deputy sarpanch and a taluka panchayat member demanded a bribe of ₹85,000 from a villager for leveling a farm. Given the villager’s poor financial condition, the officials offered a ‘considerate’ EMI option of ₹35,000 as a down payment and the remainder in three installments.
In another incident, two police officers from Sabarkantha district absconded with ₹4 lakh, the first installment of a ₹10 lakh bribe they had demanded. The growing trend has caught the attention of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Gujarat, with ten such cases reported this year alone.
A senior ACB official highlighted that this practice is gaining popularity among corrupt officials. “A person unable to afford to buy a house, car, or a valuable item avails a loan or an EMI. Corrupt officials are applying the same practice to bribes now,” the officer said.
Sources By Agencies
