Calcutta High Court Tells ED, CBI To Increase Conviction Rates In Corruption Cases, Follow Examples Of Japan & Singapore

The Calcutta High Court has asked agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to increase the rates of convictions in corruption cases to close to 100% and follow the lead of developed countries such as Japan and Singapore, whose conviction rate in corruption cases was around 80% to enable the country to become corruption free.

A division bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Ajay Kumar Gupta was hearing a bail plea by Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the cash-for-jobs recruitment scam. It orally observed:

“To fight corruption, the conviction rate of the accused should be increased. You must have 100% conviction rate against corruption. Whichever country has been successful in fighting corruption has an 80-90% conviction rate against corruption. Look at Japan and Singapore. Allegations of corruption should be investigated quickly and the judicial process should be completed. Otherwise, the country will never be free from corruption. The money recovered from Kuntal Ghosh is circumstantial evidence of this massive corruption. Let them prove the source of their illegal wealth.”

DSG Dhiraj Trivedi representing the central agencies had requested the court for an extension of time to file a report in the matter, while the counsel for the accused had claimed that they had not received any illegal gains.

The bench told the DSG that cases of corruption, especially of such magnitude should be solved forthwith and that it should not be allowed to fade from public memory. It also expressed apprehension that certain officers from the agency may be colluding with the accused and stated that it would ask the Director to look into such alleged instances.

Don't allow these cases to linger and public memory fades out. The credibility of the entire institution to fight corruption falls to mockery, Charges of corruption should be wrapped up then and there, otherwise, you will not get anything, The sound bytes against conviction do not help, conviction does. You must have 100% corruption, it stated.

Accordingly, the ED was allowed time to file its report, and the case was posted for hearing at a later date.

Case: In re: Kuntal Ghosh

Case No: CRM (DB) 681 of 2024