How Anti-Corruption unit trapped Madan Mohan Singha while taking bribe inside Treasury office, Silchar

A senior Citizen had applied for a Commutation Loan and to process the same, an officer or Babu at the Treasury Officer’s Office asked for a bribe of Rs 10,000. Gouri Shankar Singha, a retired employee of the Forest Department was stunned with the fact that he has to pay a bribe just to get the Commutation Loan processed. This is when he contacted the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department, Government of Assam.

The officer who asked him for a bribe of Rs 10,000 was Senior Account Assistant, Madan Mohan Singha. The conversation between Gauri Shankar and Madan Mohan continued and they decided to do the transaction on June 15.

Before Gauri Shankar Singha went to the Treasury Office in Silchar, the personnel from the Vigilance and Anti-corruption department added a chemical to the notes.

As planned, Gauri Shankar went inside the office and handed over the cash to Madan Mohan Singha. Soon followed the officials of the Vigilance and Anti-corruption department asked Madan Mohan Singha to submerge his hands in a bowl of water. In no time, the bowl of clear water turned red and Madan Mohan Singha was under arrest.

He was escorted to Silchar Sadar Police Station and from there, he will be transferred to Guwahati. This incident also exposed the fact that the Treasury Office in Silchar has become a hotbed of corruption. Even for the simplest of documents to move, the beneficiaries need to pay bribes. There are two ways to deal with it, one- be a part of the corrupt process by paying bribes and second – what Gauri Shankar Singha did.

What is also critical here is the proceedings that follow the arrest. In the past, officers were caught red-handed while taking bribe but then, due to lack of evidence and loopholes in Police investigation, the arrest could not stand the scrutiny of the law. They were reinstated to their respective jobs as per the order of the Court.