Breeding corruption

It may not be testimony of the general view that corruption in Nagaland has reached unmanageable proportions but certainly when additional secretary (Agriculture) Jitendra Gupta IAS and two other officials working in the Fostering Climate-Resilient Upland Farming System (FOCUS) project, were arrested by CBI while enroute Delhi on December 17,2023 with huge amount of cash; it was proof that the government system in Bihar and Nagaland speak the same language. Gupta, an IAS officer of Bihar cadre was caught with over Rs. 16 lakh cash while two other state department officers – deputy conservator of Forest Rampaukai was caught carrying Rs.21 Lakh and from Auto Vihoi, assistance veterinary surgeon an amount of Rs.34.50 lakh was found. Gupta, a Bihar cadre officer, was sent to Nagaland on inter-cadre deputation in December 2020. In 2016, Gupta, then posted as Sub-divisional Magistrate Mohaniya, was booked by the Bihar Vigilance Department in a case of alleged bribery during the interception of overloaded trucks. Gupta had alleged that his actions against the transport ‘mafia’ had enraged them, and the allegations against him were aimed at framing him in a forged case. The deputation of Gupta to state IAS cadre exemplifies how the system in Nagaland works. It is shameful that the state government allowed such a person to be appointed to a post. In a way, the state government should have sought for more information about Jitendra Gupta. Had this been done by the state police, then Gupta would not have been allowed to preside over such a crucial department. The Gupta scam also highlighted the vulnerability of local people who are ensnared by various agencies. While Gupta was charged with corruption in Bihar he sought direction from Patna high court which on October 28, 2016, had ordered quashing of the FIR against the officer. In 2019, the Delhi High Court had directed the central government to initiate an inter-cadre transfer of Gupta forthwith and issue the order to shift him out of the Bihar cadre within four weeks. Bihar Vigilance Department had charge sheeted Gupta in a case of alleged bribery during the interception of overloaded trucks. Gupta had alleged that his actions against the transport ‘mafia’ had enraged them, and the allegations against him were aimed at framing him in a forged case. This was a distortion of facts but the Delhi High Court believed that Gupta was a victim of the mafia who sought to fix him. A division bench comprising Justices Vipin Singh and Jyoti Singh also rapped the Bihar government for causing “immense humiliation and harassment” to Dr Jitendra Gupta, a 2013-batch IAS officer, and ordered it to pay the officer a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. However after he was posted to Nagaland, Gupta did not actually prove that he was driven by a sense of patriotism. Eventually, Gupta’s patriotism was for money. Gupta was able to get deputation to Nagaland and within a few years proved that he was not someone out of place. Why Gupta managed to collect a huge amount through bribes is that there were bribe givers and Gupta was the bribe receiver. The system in Nagaland probably helped Gupta because Bihar also has the same set up where VIPs are unquestioned for wrongdoing.