A district judge in Thoothukudi has written to the police, urging personnel to avoid bringing Deepavali gifts for court staff, contending that it amounts to bribery. Principal district judge N. Logeswaran wrote to the Superintendent of Police, with copies marked to all Deputy Superintendents of Police in the district, saying he had come to know of a custom of police personnel gifting crackers, sweets and other items to court staff.
“I am of the view that the above mentioned act amounts to a kind of bribery, which is clearly an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Hence, I request you to kindly instruct all police personnel in Thoothukudi district not to give any type of gifts to the court staff,” he said.
Some years ago, when he was in service, Justice K. Chandru of the Madras High Court had dissuaded people from meeting him during festivals and New Year by putting up a board outside his official residence.
Distribution of sweets/crackers/gifts to government officials is considered customary ahead of Deepavali. Some officials in income-generating departments, like Registration, Road Transport, etc., even face allegations of collecting mamool or cash gifts from customers.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has been conducting a series of searches in government offices across the State since October 1. At least ₹4.5 crore in cash and a huge quantity of gold and silver ornaments were seized during the joint surprise checks, conducted along with District Inspection Cell authorities.
Incidentally, the police in Thoothukudi had come under a cloud after the custodial deaths of traders P. Jayaraj and his son J. Bennicks in Sattankulam police station limits a few months ago. While the then Superintendent of Police was shifted out, the Inspector, two Sub-Inspectors of Police and others were arrested on charges of murder.
The Judicial Magistrate who conducted the judicial enquiry also put on record the high-handedness of the Sattankulam police when he went there to conduct enquiries. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over the case from the State police, filed a chargesheet against the police, accusing them of torturing the father-son duo in the Sattankulam police station on the night of June 19, 2020.
