Elaborating on the impact of corruption: Supreme Court’s view and anti-corruption measures in J&K

In a notable case, the Supreme Court of India observed that the “stink of corruption” has a “pervasive impact” on the efficient administration and governance of the country. Corrupt officials have a demoralizing effect on honest public servants, and corruption by public servants has become a “gigantic problem.” Large-scale corruption retards nation-building activities, affecting everyone adversely. The Supreme Court further stated that corruption is corroding the vital veins of the body politic and demoralizing honest officers like cancerous lymph nodes.
Corruption has wide-ranging damaging effects on society and governance, but its most deadly impact is always on the poor. Corruption in any society is inversely proportional to good governance, provoking a range of economic and social problems. In J&K, corruption, like in the rest of the country, has contributed greatly to multifaceted problems, hindering economic progress. Stricter accountability at all levels is indispensable for solving these problems.
To intensify its fight against corruption, the State Administrative Council (SAC) in October 2018 accorded a nod to the setting up of the first-ever Anti-Corruption Bureau in the State. The Governor amended the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, and issued SRO-486, formally establishing the Anti-Corruption Bureau for investigating offences under the Act. With amendments in both these Acts, the State Vigilance Organization has been rechristened as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The ACB’s efforts to raise awareness and prevent corruption are commendable. It is vital to increase openness, establish accountability procedures, and promote an integrity culture. The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau is among several initiatives of the Governor’s administration aimed at improving governance.
According to a report published by a local news agency, the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered around 270 corruption cases since 2020 in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. These cases were against government officials for accepting bribes, involvement in embezzlement of funds, misappropriation of government funds without following guidelines, illegal constructions, and other offences. The highest number of cases so far in the year 2023 has been registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar. Details reveal that 16 cases, including demanding and accepting bribes, illegal constructions, misuse of official position, embezzlement of funds, and others, have been filed at the police station between February 2023 and August 2023.
Keeping in view the ‘zero tolerance’ for corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has tightened the noose around corrupt officials. The ACB has acted swiftly on complaints registered with it since 2019, nabbing several corrupt officials in the Union territory. Many big guns have fallen into the ACB net, and investigations are ongoing to apprehend others. The Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Anand Jain, recently stated that the J&K Government’s e-initiative has been instrumental in bringing transparency to the system, noting a manifold increase in complaints since 2019 with the use of technology by ACB.
ACB’s performance is praised at all levels and has gained complete public trust. This success story would not have been feasible without the help of others. Various stakeholders, including the civil administration, civil society groups, and the media, played critical roles in campaigning for anti-corruption policies and uncovering and completing corruption cases. ACB aspires to persist in doing its tasks with full responsibility and vigour while adhering to the law’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
The participation of the general public in the national anti-corruption fight is commendable. Tackling corruption is not just the job of the government and the Anti-Corruption Bureau; individual and collaborative engagement at all levels is required. It is every citizen’s duty to play their role in exposing and combating corruption within the legal boundaries. Every citizen is a partner in the anti-corruption effort, and their cooperation in reporting instances of demand for bribes and other corruption practices is vital to stamp out the evil of corruption. The Anti-Corruption Bureau actively seeks and encourages the cooperation of public-spirited citizens to report instances of corruption. Whenever a citizen reports an instance of demand for a bribe, immediate action is taken by organizing a raid on the corrupt official/officer, followed by the registration of a case, arrest, and trial of such officials. We condemn it in a religious manner so that Muslims won’t fall prey to it.
The initiative aims to instill in the public a feeling of self-responsibility and to build a more watchful and educated society that actively engages in preventing and reporting fraudulent actions to relevant law enforcement. The Holy Quran states, “And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it (in bribery) to the rulers in order that (they might aid) you (to) consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know (it is unlawful).” (Surat Al-Baqarah V.2 Ch. 188). The above verse explains that we should not take each other’s wealth unjustly, robbing it or taking it by force or by cheating, and then making it a legal dispute to obtain others’ wealth wrongfully, when you know that Allah has prohibited that. Committing a sin knowingly is the worst of things and has the greatest of punishments.
The above ayah also explicitly forbids the act of bribery and regards it as a sin. Therefore, for people of other religions and societies, bribery might be against the law; however, for Muslims, bribery is against religion. Our individual anti-corruption obligations are also commanded by the Holy Qur’an, which states: “He who purified himself succeeded, while he who did evil failed” (Surah 91: Ayah 9-10). It is apparent that ‘tazkiyah’ – self-accountability – is the source of success. It is certainly the pinnacle of one’s religious and societal responsibilities; whether one is an individual, a group of individuals, an organization, or a nation. Therefore, we must believe that “self-accountability is the best accountability.” If we accomplish it at our individual levels, anti-corruption achievements will definitely help the entire society.
The writer is former Attorney at Law, J&K High Court, presently Govt Law Officer pursuing Masters in Political Science through Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He can be reached at [email protected]

Mudasir Mushtaq Khan