“The collection of ‘hafta’ is totally illegal and unbecoming of a police officer,” says Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) T. Suneel Kumar.
In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Suneel Kumar sought to emphasise the fact that the bribe giver was party to seeking certain illegal concessions.
“For example, a liquor store owner may be paying ‘hafta’ to operate his shop for longer hours beyond the closure deadline,” he says.
‘Both parties guilty’
Certainly, senior officers are aware of “hafta” collection, but “it becomes difficult to take disciplinary action unless it is reported to them,” he says. Those paying “hafta” may not report as they too may be guilty of unauthorised practices.
“A huge challenge in taking action in such cases is the lack of evidence or proof of the exchange of ‘hafta’. It is not a case of payment through a bank account which can be easily traced,” he says.
Harassment plaint
Some aggrieved parties tend to file a complaint of harassment but will not directly state it as a case of “hafta” collection. “In such cases, our special teams or the CCB (Central Crime Branch) may investigate the matter. If we find enough proof, we will take disciplinary action against the officer in question,” he says.
Asked if there was any basis on which “hafta” is collected, Mr. Suneel Kumar said: “It cannot be categorised on any basis as it is unorganised. It depends on the arrangement between the two beneficiaries and could be on a weekly, monthly basis or may not even have a regular arrangement. ‘Hafta’ collection takes place when there are day-to-day inspections involved.”
Punishment
So how is a guilty police official punished?
“If it is brought to the attention of officers at the higher level, it can be dealt with immediately by looking into the activity [entailing] the ‘hafta’ collection. Sometimes our plainclothesmen (CCB or special teams usually) also report to us about any such illegal activity they observe on their rounds. If found guilty, the officer will be either be suspended or transferred to a position where he may not have enough scope for such illegal practices,” he says.
Underpaid force
Asked why the practice was endemic in the police force, he said: “Most police officers work long hours. They don’t have holidays on festivals either and may get an extra Rs. 150 or so for working on those days. ‘Hafta’ is one way of acquiring money without doing anything."
“In case of constables, the average salary per month is about Rs. 12,000, and the take-home amount may be about Rs. 9,000. About 27 to 30 per cent of the officers are provided with government accommodation while the rest have to find their own. Going by the rents, at least half of the constable’s salary or, perhaps, more goes for accommodation. In such conditions, he may [collect] ‘hafta’.”
Keywords: corrupt police, BBMP, Bangalore Police, mamool, bribery
While some Mr. Kumar's statements may be disappointing, I think he brings up an extremely valid point about police salaries. As long as the burden of running a household is always on a police officer's mind, it is hard to expect the officer to refuse bribes and 'hafta.' Higher police pay is one of the investments our country needs to make in order to protect the well being of the oppressed (women, lower castes, homeless, etc) and attract businesses to invest in our cities. It is impossible to erase the culture of corruption without erasing the fear of severe financial hardship among police officers.
I'm surprised that an ACP can make the claim -- in national media --
that senior officials are not able to take action against hafta-taking
subordinates because the bribe-giver is not complaining. Either he is
very naive or he thinks public is very naive.
Here's how you'd track down the hafta payment. When a liquor store is
open beyond regular hours, fine/arrest the shop owner. Very likely, in
the very first instance, he'll tell you who he is bribing. If not, do
that a few times and he'll stop paying the bribe. And, there is nobody
to catch.
I have seen many policeman taking hafta to small businessman. Its
mandatory for all the shopkeepers to give hafta. I can provide enough
evidence for this. But their is no point to complaining about those
police officers to a police. Now the question is who will police the
POLICE. If their is any contacts where people can provide information
regarding those corrupted police officers, their identities should be
kept as secret.
This cop cannot justify the police actions claiming that the police is
paid low wages. This sort of exploitation by the cops is going out of
control, the nation is watching. Will they be the cause of the
revolution in India, just like the fruit vendor who was harassed in
Tunisia causing the Arab Spring Revolution...? Only time will tell..
The hafta giver is mostly NOT guilty of anything other than having a
business open. I've seen cops doing daily rounds and collecting money
from ALL shops and street vendors. I spoke to a shopkeeper once and they
said that its mandatory to pay up or they get harassed.
It is a shameless defence. A head-load worker in K R Market pays Rs 5 to sleep on the pavement. Will this Suneel Kumar punish the worker for bribing the cops? If parties bribe for illegal concessions, is it not his job to punish the bribe giver and taker? How could this newspaper collect so much of details without bank transactions? Only when bank transactions are available, this cop can take action! Then none in this country can be punished for corruption. The report says that the collection is outsourced and the hafta from shop owners and vendors are collected through outsiders. Can this Addl Commissioner not arrest this collection? If he can't, let him quit.'If found guilty, the officer will either be suspended or transferred,' says this cop. Is suspension or transfer the punishment? Why not dismissal, Mr Kumar?
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