Twenty-seven years have passed since Coimbatore-based consumer activist K. Kathirmathiyon handed over ₹400 in trap money when he approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) against an electricity department official who had demanded a bribe. The DVAC is yet to refund him.
“Besides my own case, I know several complainants in trap cases whose money has not been refunded by the DVAC after years, even decades. A friend of mine, who was a complainant in 2001, died in 2022 without getting ₹4,000 refunded. Due to the undue delay on the part of the DVAC, he had faced a lot of criticism from family and friends,” says Mr. Kathirmathiyon.
A trap proceeding starts when a person lodges a complaint with the DVAC against a government official for demanding a bribe. After verifying the complaint and conducting a discreet inquiry, the DVAC registers a First Information Report. A trap is then set up, for which the sum demanded by the government official is required.
