<div>Corruption may be a recurring theme in political discourse, but when it comes to reporting such incidents and ensuring punishment for the accused, it seems India is not hitting the bull’s eye.<br /><br />Incidents of graft accounted for just 0.06% of 9.11 crore crimes registered in the country between 2001 and 2015, while two-third of those who faced trials in corruption cases were acquitted, a study by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has said. Examples of Maharashtra, which registered the highest number of corruption cases at 8,875 cases between 2001 and 2015, and Karnataka, the fourth highest with 4,732 cases, illustrate how the convictions are really low -- only 21-22% of those who faced trials ended up in jail.<br /><br />The figures analysed in the study by Venkatesh Nayak of CHRI were culled out from ‘Crime in India’ reports prepared by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).<br /><br />Anti-corruption activists and experts believe NCRB figures do not reflect the ground situation as there is under-reporting of cases. Also, they feel that the general public is not confident enough to file a corruption case as they fear it could lead to victimisation.<br /><br />The statistics also show that the anti-corruption mechanism is “not easily available for the common man,” Nayak said. Anjali Bhardwaj of National Campaign for People's Right to Information said: “People do not feel empowered enough to file a complaint. That is why we need a system to tackle it. Also, once you file a complaint, it goes into a black hole.”<br /><br />According to the analysis, 54,139 corruption cases were filed in 15 years of which trial was completed in 29,920 cases. As many as 47,460 people faced trial. Of this, only 10,571 cases (33.33%) resulted in conviction and 30,720 were acquitted, which is 64.73% of the accused.<br /><br /> One of the reasons could be that many of the cases could be “foisted” to target some officers, Nayak said. Activists also point to investigators not conducting proper investigation and collecting evidences.<br /><br />The reporting of corruption cases in southern states are high compared to other places. Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh along with Goa and Puducherry account for 26.5% of cases registered. Meghalaya has the lowest number of cases – 15 – registered in 15 years. Among the big states, West Bengal has registered just 39 cases.<br /><br />Among the larger states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh registered 1,179 and 968 cases, respectively. In comparison, smaller states like Punjab (3,171) Kerala (2,464), Haryana (2,446) and Himachal Pradesh (1,080) registered more cases than the larger ones.</div>
<div>Corruption may be a recurring theme in political discourse, but when it comes to reporting such incidents and ensuring punishment for the accused, it seems India is not hitting the bull’s eye.<br /><br />Incidents of graft accounted for just 0.06% of 9.11 crore crimes registered in the country between 2001 and 2015, while two-third of those who faced trials in corruption cases were acquitted, a study by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has said. Examples of Maharashtra, which registered the highest number of corruption cases at 8,875 cases between 2001 and 2015, and Karnataka, the fourth highest with 4,732 cases, illustrate how the convictions are really low -- only 21-22% of those who faced trials ended up in jail.<br /><br />The figures analysed in the study by Venkatesh Nayak of CHRI were culled out from ‘Crime in India’ reports prepared by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).<br /><br />Anti-corruption activists and experts believe NCRB figures do not reflect the ground situation as there is under-reporting of cases. Also, they feel that the general public is not confident enough to file a corruption case as they fear it could lead to victimisation.<br /><br />The statistics also show that the anti-corruption mechanism is “not easily available for the common man,” Nayak said. Anjali Bhardwaj of National Campaign for People's Right to Information said: “People do not feel empowered enough to file a complaint. That is why we need a system to tackle it. Also, once you file a complaint, it goes into a black hole.”<br /><br />According to the analysis, 54,139 corruption cases were filed in 15 years of which trial was completed in 29,920 cases. As many as 47,460 people faced trial. Of this, only 10,571 cases (33.33%) resulted in conviction and 30,720 were acquitted, which is 64.73% of the accused.<br /><br /> One of the reasons could be that many of the cases could be “foisted” to target some officers, Nayak said. Activists also point to investigators not conducting proper investigation and collecting evidences.<br /><br />The reporting of corruption cases in southern states are high compared to other places. Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh along with Goa and Puducherry account for 26.5% of cases registered. Meghalaya has the lowest number of cases – 15 – registered in 15 years. Among the big states, West Bengal has registered just 39 cases.<br /><br />Among the larger states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh registered 1,179 and 968 cases, respectively. In comparison, smaller states like Punjab (3,171) Kerala (2,464), Haryana (2,446) and Himachal Pradesh (1,080) registered more cases than the larger ones.</div>
