A MURDER IN OFFICE

A MURDER IN OFFICE

[This is purely an act of fiction. Names, characters, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Content designed may provide helpful information on the subjects discussed along with presentations/illustrations for highlighting the plight of an aggrieved. The author assume no liabilities of any kind with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents..Any resemblance to persons living or dead may be purely coincidental]

Kumar never had an inkling about what would befall him that fateful Friday of 1997. Well, normally we too don't and his case wasn't of any difference. A sufficiently matured serviceman in his late fifties with experience taking a toll on his brain and psyche, he was fast approaching his superannuation from service in a couple of years. The day began as another day would unfold. The hazards at office and the mix and match between official and personal life coupled to work on his well serviced vehicle train of robust body mass. It was more of a juggle with the problems that he had to fend for himself.

As he made to his seat in his chamber, Biplob entered with a curt smile on his lips. Doing the customary namaste he enquired about the fate of his filed application as happens in any government office. The file was put up with someone else for approval. He started pleading if the assessed valuation of the proposed floor of the building to be put up on rent to a government agency could be hiked further. Saying that, he placed rupees two thousands in many denominations on his table. Kumar got infuriated at this behaviour and asked him to get out immediately rebuking him for his act of bribery. Suddenly a group of 9 (nine) persons entered his room. Seeing them, Kumar panicked and put the money away in his pants as it was beyond dignity that outsiders should see money lying on his table and accepting a bribe. The men declared that they were from an investigating agency to trap him accepting a bribe. Realising his mistake was too late by then. Kumar threw the money out of the window but by then, a powdery substance (phenolphthalein) left its marks on his fingers and pocket that were later dipped in alkaline solution that turned pink to be preserved and documented as evidence. His residence was raided only to reveal nothing potential of a habitual bribe taker. The devilish afterthoughts that led to this debacle left all in awe and silence! None could explain the fallout of the plot and whose thirst it quenched. 

Biplob was extremely happy he could take the life out of Kumar who did not keep up to his illegal request of a hiked valuation of rent, higher than that was officially admissible, for the space in his house that was to be let out to the same agency that raided. It was revealed later that his father had superannuated from that very agency. The intra departmental rivals of Kumar too had a cerebral feast and raised a toast to his misfortune. 

Kumar was immediately arrested and placed under judicial custody. The entire operation took place on a day before the weekend holidays so that hon'ble courts of law couldn't be approached for bail. He was put under suspension as per norms of the government. It was a premeditated murder of an individual of his honour and livelihood. So vile were intentions that it almost killed the human being inside Kumar. None has ever seen a mellowed down Kumar before. The insult inflicted was killing. He was conferred a death sentence for not siding with an illegal and illegitimate request. Some say, it was done intentionally to ruin the family and reduce him to a pauper. This cruel irony of fate had turned into his worst nightmare.

It was however, a special court of law granted him the much needed bail the next day after which, he had to be escorted home, weakened by the riddle of life played with him. Within a day, the trauma had broken him psychologically down completely and more the so, was unable to face anyone as he was now labeled as a proven bribe taker with loads of evidence after being caught red handed accepting a bribe, put behind bars like a criminal, spent the night in a cell with criminals like a criminal and now, out on bail.

It's worth mentioning that this person, who was apprehended to put an end to his illustrious career with competencies beyond doubt that was about to end in a couple of years, had no landed property anywhere in the country, no bank deposits or life insurance of substantial amounts to boast of, no assets from his fixed source of income except for an immensely quick tempered trait that was sometimes an impediment to the basically good natured and helpful human being within. Might be that his superiors considered that as being impolite attribute to nail him down and gift him with a reclusive life shunned by all.

Mobilising such traps, as they are commonly referred to, are not only enacted to avenge egos and, thus kill many in many an organisation but also as gained currency in their efficacy in getting hold of a culprit in true senses. The perpetrators of such disgustingly heinous acts perhaps enjoy this as peace of mind without realising the holocaust. While the big fish swam gleefully purported to be the pantheon of corruption, the smaller ones were made to perish and languish in trauma. These binary tactics would also be used to throw out thorny perpetrators of morality and virtues. It was also learnt that such a trap was laid by the agency for a clerk who was fond of eating paan and used to accept 50 paise as token of appreciation from traders on clearing their consignment of goods; albeit whosoever was generous enough! He was weeded out of service in a similar fashion while accepting a coin after refusing to clear a shipment of a big trader that had defaulted on multiple counts. It's not known about the fate of that unfaithful clerk who too was caught red handed and subjected through the tortuous process so that justice could be met.

Kumar would regularly visit his superiors, pleading for an order on his reinstatement as departmental enquiry was underway. After several perusals, the order finally came after 6 (six) or more months' suspension during which, he was paid a subsistence pay that was meagre enough to sustain him and his wife. He was reinstated and a departmental enquiry ensued. A report from the vigilance agency that carried out the trap operation was awaited. He perused with them too for an early report. He was told that a colour television and rupees 20 (twenty) thousands in cash could speed up the progress of the report by the investigating agency. He paid through his nose as he had that much money in his savings bank account that the apprehending agency knew about upon raiding the residence confiscating all the passbooks of two savings banks. But then, the investigator's report came with recommendations of inflicting heavy and severe punishment. His bribing the agency officials yielded no fruit. All this, despite no loss to the exchequer and for being truthful and committed to his department with no criminal intent all the decades of selfless service. He'd curse himself for falling into traps again and again that made him no gainer but an avid loser. That there was no integrity and probity with the investigating agency as such, made his sorrows boundless.

He was transferred in public interest abreast with the recommendations of the report of the investigating agency. He was neither granted any annual increment nor considered for promotion till his retirement in 2000. Multiple trials ensued that finally ended in 2002 with the order from the highest civilian post in the country that he'd never receive his gratuity nor any form of pension in line with rule 14 of general civil service rules and was inflicted with Rule 9: Right of President to withhold or withdraw pension so that, overwhelming justice would be met. His destiny was designed with vociferous creed of volubility and with the connivance of many.

He lived till 2014, isolated from within, punishing himself from all angles for his follies; praying to the Almighty for rescue and justice! An occasional letter to his head of department with prayer for mercy to resume pension and payment of gratuity would enliven his short-lived hopes at times. After this, his wife made multiple appeals to the head of the organisation, to the heads in the ministry and the supreme head of the country begging for pardon, as her husband never fought for the charges that were brought against him and, release of the family pension at the least faced by acute crises for sustaining her very livelihood. But all her prayers went unanswered. The National Human Rights Commission too never responded to her appeals for release of a family pension for sustenance despite right to pension and gratuity. Observing that gratuity and pension are hard earned benefits of an employee and right to receive pension is in the nature of “property”, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has held that this right cannot be taken away from a government employee pending departmental or criminal proceedings.

Kumar never had any criminal proceeding in any court of law. He was inflicted this harshest of harsh punishments in a calculated move through a volley of departmental proceedings that pinned him down from all angles. All investigations took shape of water. It's not known why such a strict punishment was inflicted on a person who never had any assets, leave alone have disproportionate levels of it. It's not known why this person was made a pauper despite not having any adequate levels of sustenance. Where lay the enmity? Not ruling out the ethnic discrimination that drown down many by the genocidal throats, the umbilical chord was detached killing the soul! It was truly difficult for someone who lived the story to survive in life.