There could be various reasons as to why conviction rate in corruption cases in Jammu and Kashmir is the lowest in the country when scourge of corruption in Government departments appears to be stubbornly threatening and corroding the system. Agreed , corruption cases during the last three years shows a declining trend , that , however, does not mean that corrupt practices and corruption have been contained or having got any setback . We know that in various cases, in order to proceed against the identified employees having been suspected to be involved in corrupt practices and where the Anti Corruption Bureau has recommended initiating of departmental action, such action is not only delayed but various ways adopted to let the accused get a long breather if not immediately get scot free. Simply, by managing to stretch the enquiry and related processes , the culpability and even involvement gets difficult to be established. In such cases, swift action and proper speedy investigations are a guarantee of more convictions taking place.
Experience in respect of how corruption cases are filed in Jammu and Kashmir and with which speed followed in courts, reveal the same to be rarest of rare cases because at almost all levels in the concerned department , efforts are made to let the accused employee be proved not guilty; otherwise , why should the Government withdraw many corruption cases from courts or at investigation levels thus giving scope for raising doubts and questions on the Government’s ”commitment” of zero tolerance to corruption. National Crime Record Bureau has reports on the subject with relevant data which all is dismal and raising many pertinent questions. Decline in number of cases during the last three years may also be due to not filing cases at all and ”disposing of” at the initial stages itself which should be altogether stopped as corruption is a cognizable offence , a crime of larger ramifications. Thorough investigations in respect of raising assets disproportionate to known sources of income, if done thoroughly and widely, shall reveal a story altogether beyond expectations. So, if zero tolerance to corruption as claimed by the Government is there, then on the ground, it should be duly got established – more convictions as a strong deterrent.
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