Graft just another overhead cost in Kalasipalayam

Shopkeepers at Kalasipalyam need to pay bribes to avoid trouble from the police.

By Shraddha Choudhury

BANGALORE (Jan. 12)—Street hawkers and hoteliers in Kalasipalyam need to pay police “haftas” or bribes in order to run their businesses without being harassed by them.

 “If we earn Rs. 1,000, we need to pay them at least 300,” said Fayaz Ahmed, a street shop owner. “Everyone here faces this trouble.”

The owner of the Taj Hotel, Anjum Mohammed, said that every shop in the market district, which comes under the jurisdiction of Kalasipalyam Police Station faces this issue.

“A team of 12 policemen come to us for routine collections on a daily, weekly and monthly basis,” Mohammed said. “It has become a part of our jobs now.”

Kantharaj, the personal assistant to the circle inspector of the Kalasipalyam Police Station, refused to comment on the issue.

Paying for protection seen as money well spent

Flipping through the daily accounts that he maintains of every transaction, which includes these bribes, Mohammed said that he never gave a thought to complaining about this issue.

“Whenever we face trouble from rowdies and drunkards, all I need to do is dial a number,” he said. “We get prompt action from the police which wouldn’t have been there if we didn’t do this.”

He claims that the police do them a lot of such favors because they pay them regularly.

Fayaz Ahmed too considers it a part of the system.

“They let us stay here if we pay them,” he said. “It is a loss, but at least we have a shop.”

Commercial area an easy target

Kalasipalyam is a commercial area and hence, an easy place for such policemen to earn profits.

“Cops pay a huge amount—nearly 20 to 30 lakhs [Rs. 2 million to Rs. 3 million]—to get transferred to this police station because they know they can earn more here,” Mohammed said.