The ACB had caught many Government officials, including Class-I officers, red-handed while accepting bribe. Yet, 189 of those (20 Class-I) are yet to be suspended by their bosses. It defies logic, but there is no proper reason given to the defence of charged corrupt officials. The ACB statistics released on January 15, 2023 revealed that, among the corrupt Government servants caught red-handed, highest 49 officials are from Rural Development Department. They are followed by 47 from Education and Sports Department, 25 from Urban Development-2, 18 from Revenue Department, 16 from Home Department (Police), seven from Cooperatives and Marketing, five from Agriculture Department,  three from MIDC, MSEDCL and Labour Department, three from State Excise Department, three from MHADA and Slum Rehabilitation Department, two each from Health Department and Municipal Council Department, one each from Social Welfare Department, MSRTC, FDA, Tribal Department, Water Resources Department, Higher and Technical Education Department and others.

A senior ACB official said, the Bureau immediately sends a report of trapped Government official to their unit head. However, some senior officials do not follow the rules and protect their tainted juniors. “In the case of Class-I officers, it is the prerogative of the State Government whether to suspend the corrupt officials or not. Currently, action against 20 Class-I officials is pending with the Government,” he said. The officials also pointed out that shortage of manpower was also a reason for pending action. He recalled a case of Central Jail, when a doctor was caught red-handed by ACB for accepting bribe. The senior jail officials told the ACB that they would not suspend the tainted doctor as there was just one doctor for 2,000 prison inmates.

Another officer said that, it was the right of top officials of the concerned department to take a call on suspension of tainted servants. “If the trapped officer is arrested and remanded to police custody for more than 48 hours, then it is imperative for the head of the department to suspend the trained official,” he said.

Ex-Director General of Police (DGP) Pravin Dixit opined that, every tainted Government employee should be suspended so that he/she would not indulge in corrupt practices again. “By not suspending tainted officers, the senior officers are encouraging corruption in their department,” he pointed out. “If senior officers indulge in corruption, then how could they suspend juniors,” Dixit asked.