At Present Time Bribery And Corruption In India Have Become A Tradition For Indian Police

At present, bribery and corruption have developed into the Indian police system as a systematic and cultural tradition, which is deeply contained in its daily functioning, decision making and institutional behavior. This tradition is not just a series of individual moral failures or wrong actions, but a generalized pattern of immoral, illegal and oppressive behavior, which is accepted by many officials, political leaders and even a section of the people as a part of “how the system works”.

Instead of being the protector of justice, many officials in India have become the gatekeepers of power, grace and money transactions today, often refuse to take action without taking bribe, and in some cases even their positions use their positions for forcible recovery, curtain and politically induced oppressed oppressed. The prevalence of corruption has become so common that it has taken the form of a modern institutional tradition, which is prevalent in districts, states, ranks and regions.

1. Inherent in history – a colonial tradition converted to modern form

The Indian Police Force was established under British rule through the Indian Police Act of 1861. The purpose of this law was not to serve the Indian people, but to protect colonial interests and suppress rebellion. Its main objective was to maintain system and ensure stability of British rule. The police force was designed to be loyal to the ruling class, not the citizens. Over time, it created a force that was comfortable using force, threats and violence.

The British used to reward officials not for justice, but for control. After independence, India failed to make a radical change in this system. Instead of creating a democratic, public-focused police model, the same colonial tactics and mentality remained. Officials still work with the right of the same colonial style, often consider themselves the ruler of the public rather than a public servant. Corruption and bribery became a means of using this power and maintaining it. The roots of the Indian police tradition of bribery and misuse of power are clearly associated with this unwavering colonial heritage.

2. Freedom-wishes development: corruption increased rather than reforms

After India got independence in 1947, there was widespread hope of reform in all institutions including the police. However, this hope was not fulfilled. Instead of implementing structural reforms, the Government of India upheld the old 1861 Police Act and its rigid, hierarchical structure. Between 1947 and 1977, politicians began to use the police to fulfill their agenda, and officials began to consider coordination with political powers as a career. The National Police Commission (established in 1977) eventually admitted that political intervention had gathered deep roots. At this stage, corruption within the police force increased twice.

First, it became a common practice to take bribe to get transfers, promotion and favorable posting. Second, bribery reached the local level where constables, sub-inspectors and SHOs also started demanding money for basic police works like filing or investigating an FIR. The which began as institutional failure to improve, soon turned into an approved practice, which established bribery as a ladder for career development and departmental survival. These developments from 1947 to 1977 established corruption as an emerging tradition in the Indian police system.

3. Emergency period – extreme police misuse

The emergency of the Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 became a black chapter in the history of the Indian police system. During this 21 -month period, the Indian Constitution was suspended, curb civil freeds and police used to suppress disagreement. The officials arrested political opponents, journalists and activists without any proper procedure. The forced sterilization campaign, which was a part of the government’s population control agenda, was often implemented with the support of the police, using cruel force and deceit.

The misuse of police rights was rewarded with promotion and allowances, which strengthened the idea that serving power, not justice, succeeds. The emergency exposed how insecure the police was to political manipulation. Bribery and forced recovery also increased as the police took advantage of the fear of citizens and demanded money in lieu of security or silence. This period set an example that if unconstitutional works are also associated with the ruling interests, then they can also be considered normal. As a result, the Emergency gave rise to a tradition where corruption and political obedience in police departments became major expectations.

4. After the 1990s – liberalization and emergence of financial greed

The 1991 economic reforms in India marked a change towards liberalization and globalization. While these reforms accelerated economic development, the government, especially the police system, also brought unexpected results. As the economy was open, urban and rural markets, more money was prevalent. New businesses emerged and informal areas such as hawkers, transport and small scale industries began to flourish.

The police soon identified them as new sources of informal income. The authorities started asking for daily or weekly bribes from roadside sellers, transporters, shopkeepers and even beggars, threatening eviction or conflict. This forced recovery became common. Within police departments, corruption also became a means of reaching new emerging economic opportunities such as real estate deals and commercial security. Bribery was sought not only to ignore violations, but also to promote illegal activities. In the 1990s, bribery within the police was established as a commercial model. Corruption spread vertically integrated (incorporating various rank officers) and horizontally (in different regions). This decade turned corruption into a strategy of profit from the means of existence, which laid the foundation of a long -term tradition.

5. Bribery in police stations as a tradition

In the early 2000s, police stations were transformed into centers of justice for transactions. The beginning of any legal process, the FIR (first information report) came to be considered as an object. Whether it was a case of theft, assault, land dispute or cyber crime, a bribe had to be paid often to register an FIR. The rates were well received in many places: ₹ 500 for theft to ₹ 1 lakh for land related matters. The victims were often said to “compromise” the case or pay to move forward.

The lower level officers took bribe and transported it to the top, making an internal mechanism of income distribution. This systematic bribe recovery became so common that some police stations also started asking for monthly quota from their subordinates. Despite repeated orders by the court that the FIR should be lodged without delay, the ground reality has not changed. With every passing year since 2000, police stations across the country started working like informal courts or bribe counters. This practice became so regular that the newly recruited people were taught by giving examples, which led to a tradition from one generation of officers to another.

6. Bribery became the ladder of career

Since 2010, the police force has been seen as a means of making bribery a career. To get transfers in a place or department, there was often a large amount of money. Popular positions included traffic control, customs, boundary posts, crime checks and anti -drug prevention units. These areas had adequate contact with public, businesses and logistics centers daily, which meant more opportunities to take bribe. Officials began to see these appointments as an income-producing “property”.

Reports have shown that the SHOs of the metros sometimes paid for politicians or senior officials to pay ₹ 50 lakh to ₹ 1 crore to get a post, in the hope that they would earn profits within a year by recovering this amount. Promotion was also not always on the basis of merit. For career progress, bribery sidelined honest officers and dropped the morale of those who tried to work within the purview of the law. As a result, corruption became an integral part not only at the road level but also of the police administration. This strengthened the tradition of seeing policing as a career earning a profit rather than public service.

7. Bribe before FIR – a new normal

Since 2012, a dangerous pattern has emerged in police functioning across India – where citizens are forced to bribe only an FIR (first information report), which is a fundamental right under Indian law. According to reports of local newspapers such as Human Rights Watch, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and The Hindu and Times of India, there have been rapid growth in cases where the FIR was systematically refused to register, until the victim has not given bribe or there is a political/media pressure behind it.

Kathua rape case (2018) is a terrible example. An 8-year-old girl was gang-raped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir, and local police were accused of helping the culprits by delaying the investigation. Instead of filing fair FIRs and starting a fair inquiry, police officers were found trying to tamper with evidence and save the accused belonging to influential families.

In the Hathras case (2020) in Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit girl was brutally raped and later died in the hospital. His family alleged that the police refused to register an FIR and cremated his body without consent, which raised suspicion of bribery and collusion. The state took any step only after public opposition and media intervention.

From 2012 to 2024, marginalized communities – especially Dalits, women and poor families – were the most affected. Even in reports of cyber crime or domestic violence, police officers in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Patna and Lucknow were imprisoned in video or audio seeking money to register a complaint.

This systemic tendency has made the “bribe before FIR” a common obstacle in the way of justice, where the police station has become a toll booth instead of being the entrance of justice – where access is possible only through bribe.

8. Technology of Corruption – Digital India, Digital Bribery

With the arrival of Digital India in 2016, many people believed that digitization would reduce corruption. However, in practice, the Indian police used technology to modernize it instead of eliminating corruption. The bribe did not disappear – they just became cashless and invisible.

A report by IndiaSpend and various investigative journalists revealed that especially during the Kovid-19 lockdown (2020-2021) by police officers, e-wallets such as Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay were used to take bribe digitally. For example, in some areas of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, people who filed complaints of cyber crime were asked to “settle the case” through online payment before the authorities take action.

The trend of “prepaid justice” also came to light. People, especially in cases of financial fraud, land disputes or dowry, were asked to “push” their files or to pay ₹ 500- 5000 to digital complaints to “pre-registra”.

In 2019, India Today conducted a sting operation that showed that false e-challan is being forgiven by making additional payments to the internal WhatsApp groups or by paying additional to traffic policemen. Apart from this, bribe was being sought to register an e-FIR through online portal in police stations of several districts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

This digital corruption is difficult to detect because it does not contain any papers. It is silent, encrypted, and is safe by the same systems that are aimed at transparency. By 2025, the nature of bribery has changed – now it includes the QR code and the UPI transfer, not brown envelopes, making it a technical tradition inherent in the digital justice system.

9. Fake encounter culture – promotion and bribery for awards

Between 2005 and 2023, a dangerous and immoral tendency accelerated across India – fake encounters. These are fake murders of alleged criminals by the police, often justified as self -defense. Although the public sometimes welcomed such “immediate justice”, the investigation revealed that these encounters were often inspired by bribery or politics.

In Uttar Pradesh, during the tenure of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which started in 2017, more than 10,000 police encounters were registered by 2022. Although many encounters were claimed to be real, RTI’s answers and court investigations revealed that many encounters were fake to improve the records of the officers and get promotion.

In Telangana, in 2019, four accused died in an encounter in the rape case of a vet. Later, NHRC found contradiction in police claims and expressed concern over the judicial execution.

Reports from internal sources and informers have revealed that in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, police officers used to take bribe from rival gang members or land mafia to eliminate specific persons. Families of the victims often stated that they were threatened or asked to bribe to avoid encounter or receive postmortem reports.

From 2005 to 2023, fake encounters became a currency for progress, image or political gains, which shows that in the Indian police system, death can also be earned from death – an unimaginable form of bribery in the name of bravery.

10. Bribe in lieu of political puppet and silence

Since the 2000s, the Indian police have been adopted rapidly by political parties, making many officers of the ruling governments rather than neutral law promoters. This unholy nexus between politics and police thrives on bribery, favoritism and repression.

In West Bengal (2007–2021), there were several allegations on the use of police to suppress opposition protests, especially during the Singur and Nandigram movement. The police were accused of working on the orders of political leaders, ignoring the crimes of the ruling party workers and even registering false FIRs against the protesters.

Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, opposition leaders and protest organizers were made ficked allegations, while the police refused to take action against the goons associated with the ruling parties, until bribes are given or political pressure.

An explosive example came to light in 2021, when the then commissioner of Mumbai Police Parambir Singh accused Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of running a racket of ₹ 100 crore monthly bribe. Surprisingly, Singh was later transferred and several FIRs were lodged against him, which proves the price of highlighting corruption.

This political puppet makes corruption organized and protected, where police officers work not for public interest, but for political masters and personal promotion. In return for bribery, they suppress disagreement, destroy justice and maintain power – which is a severe violation of their duty.

11. Internal corruption – within the police

Bribery in Indian police is not limited to common citizens only. It is also present within the police force, where junior officers are exploited by their superiors, and transfer, promotion, training, even daily tasks are controlled through internal corruption systems.

From the 2010s, several internal reports and witnesses have shown that constables and sub-inspectors are asked to give senior officials to give monthly ‘recovery quota’. In turn, they are given favorable posting – such as traffic control, drug, or crime units – where bribes can be easily recovered.

The 2018 report of The Wire and another report of Outlook India revealed how the station house officer (SHO) in Delhi and Mumbai worked on the “bribe economy model”, where every constable was expected to deposit a certain amount from local businesses, hawkers or victims every week.

Even training opportunities and medals are reportedly “sold” – where the honest officer who does not bribe is transferred to remote or dangerous areas, while corrupt officials are rewarded.

This makes internal bribery generation and institutional. Honest officers go marginalized, silence, or punished, while corrupt officials climb the ladder. The result is a very rotten hierarchy, where corruption is not punished but promoted – a tradition of poisoning from top to bottom.

12. Media silence and oppression of whistleblower

Since 2015, the brave police officers who tried to expose corruption became a target rather than becoming a hero. These whistleblowers were either suspended, transferred, maligned, or even sent to jail. The mainstream media, often under political pressure, remained silent on the misuse of power within the police force.

In 2021, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh publicly accused the Home Minister of Maharashtra of running a racket of ₹ 100 crore monthly recovery racket. But instead of investigating the minister, five FIRs were lodged against Singh, he was removed from the post and he remained hidden for months.

Another case of 2019 was related to Assistant Sub-Inspector Rajendra Kharade in Maharashtra, who exposed bribery in the traffic challan system. They were suspended, refused to provide security and put them into depression.

Many media institutions avoid reporting on corruption until it goes viral. This silence of the fourth column promotes corruption, while informers have to suffer without support of the public.

Thus, in today’s India, speaking the truth is punished, and the message is clear: If you defend corruption, you will rise up; If you expose it, you will fall. This oppressive culture ensures that the tradition of bribery remains untouched, even when brave people try to break it.

13. People’s acceptance – bribe is seen as a shortcut

In the last two decades, the mindset of the public has also changed. Bribery, which was once considered a shameful act, is now often seen as an essential shortcut. Many citizens openly admit that they bribe to avoid delays, sideline procedures or to avoid police harassment.

Surveys conducted by Transparency International India and LocalSarkals (2020) found that more than 60% of Indians bribed in police stations, especially:

• To register FIR
• passport or verification report
• To investigate the accident
• Bail documents

People are afraid that without bribery, the police may bother them, delay cases or retract them. As a result, the money of “tea -water” has become institutional – which is a expressive form of living fee.

This public collusion born of helplessness, fear and fatigue has made bribery culturally acceptable. In a country where trust in institutions is low, people choose “pay payments and move forward” instead of demanding rights.

Such generalization from below ensures that the system never changes. Bribery becomes a two -way tradition – taking and giving – which has rooted deeply in society and daily life.

14. Bribery in sexual harassment and dowry cases

Between 2010 and 2025, several reports have revealed that bribery is worryingly common in sensitive cases such as rape, molestation, sexual harassment, dowry violence or acid attack. Instead of protecting the victims, police officers often save influential accused in exchange for money.

In cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur and Patna, several families said that the police did not register a rape complaint until they were given money or the case has gone viral. In some cases, the victims were asked to show the “character certificate” or witness before registering an FIR – the tricks used to delay and discourage complaints.

In Jaipur (2016), the family of a Dalit girl alleged that the police demanded ₹ 10,000 for registering an FIR after a political influence boy tampered with. The FIR was registered only after contacting the local MLA.

The same problem is in dowry cases. In Kanpur (2021), a woman scorched by dowry harassment had to wait two weeks before taking police action, allegedly because the accused bribed the investigating officer.

This type of corruption not only denies justice, but also adds another layer of trauma to the victims already suffering. This indicates that in India, emotionally and legally the most serious cases, bribe decides justice.

15. Current Status: Bribery = Life Protection

By 2024-2025, the Indian police system has reached a point where bribery is no longer an extraordinary misconduct, but a means of living for both citizens and officials. Bribery now:

• Systematic (deeply contained in police structure)
• Cultural (going on for generations)
• Political (used as weapons or reward)
• Digital (e-wallet instead of envelopes)
• Accepted both normal (accepted by giving and taking)

Officers consider bribe to be an advantage of their low -paid jobs, while victims consider it the only way to get justice. Whether it is to register an FIR, for postmortem report, or for criminal investigation, bribery acts like operating software of modern Indian police system.

Without strong monitoring of citizens, independent complaint authorities and without political will, this tradition will continue not only, but will be deeper, so that justice in India will be available only to those people who can bear it – through cash, card or UPI.

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