Corruption: Neta - babu - lala - jhola - dada Nexus
Legal Corner Icon — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.A decade ago, the then Central Vigilance Commissioner, N. Vittal used to speak about the five major players on the corruption scene interdependent, strengthening and supportive of the vicious cycle. They are the neta, the corrupt politician; the babu, the corrupt bureaucrat; the lala, the corrupting businessman; the jhola, the corrupt NGO; and the dada, the criminal of the underworld. Vittal believed that if we could control at least the babu and the neta, perhaps the lala, jhola and the dada could be controlled.
Are we now in that direction? Recently several Netas and babus have been housed in the top jails of the country.
This is Y. Sri Lakshmi, a 1988 batch IAS officer. When she joined the coveted service in 1988, she was the youngest officer of her batch - just 22. Yesterday, she was sent to jail on judicial remand by a CBI Court. She was put in a barrack with 10 other prisoners, who all have to sleep on the floor and share a common toilet.
The once powerful District Collector and Secretary who must have comforted many a crying woman, was herself in tears and with folded hands requested the CBI judge to keep her in the CBI office during judicial custody, instead of being sent to jail.
Look at the plight of this young officer. She could have become the Cabinet Secretary of India. Her career with the IAS is almost over - even if she comes out of the case clean, it would take about twenty years and by that time winning or losing may not make much of a difference!