Why Bhullar Case Is No Eye-Opener?

It’s like being shocked that the monsoon brings rain.

Corruption’s Deep Historical Roots

Corruption is not a new phenomenon . It did not start yesterday. It’s been there since the early days of independence, maybe even before, rooted deep in the shadows where accountability fears to tread. Even in ancient India, under kings and empires, the seeds were sown. Chanakya, that shrewd advisor to Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th century BCE, wasn’t naive about it -he penned the Arthashastra, detailing forty ways officials could embezzle funds through methods like inflating expenses or treasury fraud, likening it to the impossibility of knowing when a fish drinks water.

Fast-forward to the Mughal era, where jagirdars and subedars often squeezed peasants for extra “nazrana” (gifts) to pad their pockets, turning taxation into a fine art of extortion .

Under Jahangir, corrupt Qazis (judges) decided court cases based on the size of the Nazar (gifts) received, as observed by Dutch traveler Francisco Pelsaert

In Chapter 2.8 of the Arthashastra, Kautilya delves deep into the various forms of corruption that can plague a state. He emphasizes the difficulty of detecting such malpractices, likening corrupt officials to fish swimming in water—just as it is nearly impossible to discern the movement of fish in a body of water, so too is it challenging to identify the corrupt activities of officials.

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Then came the British Raj, where corruption morphed into a colonial cocktail. The East India Company officials, those so-called “nabobs,” amassed fortunes through bribes and shady deals, like the infamous Clive of India who pocketed around £234,000-£250,000 in “presents” after the Battle of Plassey .

Warren Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal under the East India Company, faced impeachment in 1787 for alleged corruption, including accusations of accepting bribes, such as Rs 1 lakh from the Nawab of Awadh for political favors. Though he was acquitted on all charges by the House of Lords in 1795 after a seven-year trial.

Edward Colebrooke, East IndiaCompany Resident at Delhi (1827–1829), was suspended in 1829 for corrupt practices, including accepting bribes and “presents” (nazrana) from Indian nobles for political favors, such as influencing Mughal court decisions. The charges, pursued by his assistant Charles Trevelyan, led to his dismissal by the Court of Directors in 1830.

East India Company: the original corporate raiders How the British trading behemoth took control of 200 million people and one of the richest empires on Earth.

Post Independence

By the time independence rolled around in 1947, the groundwork was laid. Right out of the gate, the Jeep Scandal of 1948 hit the headlines-high-ranking officials were accused of siphoning funds meant for military vehicles, with V.K. Krishna Menon, then High Commissioner to the UK, implicated for bypassing protocols, though the case was closed in 1955 without charges.

The ₹1.24 crore betrayal that shattered public faith in LIC; when Feroze Gandhi challenged PM Nehru’s authority |(From left to right) Haridas Mundhra, Jawaharlal Nehru, T.T. Krishnamachari, Feroze Gandhi, Bhai Mahavir, L.S. Vaidyathan, Justice M.C. Chagla

In the 1950s, the Mundhra Scandal saw Finance Ministry officials misuse LIC funds to bail out a dodgy businessman, leading to the finance minister’s resignation.
The 1980s brought Bofors, where kickbacks allegedly reached government insiders close to the prime minister’s doorstep.
The 1990s fodder scam in Bihar saw bureaucrats , and those in power and authority forge documents to loot animal husbandry funds to the tune of hundreds of crores.

A. Raja was accused in the 2008 2G scam of underpricing licenses, causing a Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss, though acquitted in 2017 due to lack of evidence

Suresh Kalmadi, in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal, was charged in 2013 for irregularities in a Rs 90 crore contract, but the CBI closed the case, and a 2025 court ruling cleared him of money laundering charges, finding no evidence. The overall CWG loss was estimated at Rs 70,000 crore by the CAG.

So there has been acquittals too
Isn’t it surprising the acquittal or charges! Something amiss!

These aren’t ancient history; they’re the DNA of our system, showing how corruption evolved from colonial handouts to post-independence graft among government functionaries.

Systemic Nature of Corruption

The truth is, the rot has existed ever since, and it starts precisely where the light rarely shines: at the very top. When political parties do not disclose their sources of income and donations, and when the funds controlled by the topmost man cannot be audited, is it any wonder the stench flows down?

We’ve heard tales-of top figures in states amassing Rs 1,000 crore or more without much fuss. In today’s world of rising prices and a falling rupee, Bhullar’s recovered assets don’t even seem that outsized by those standards. It’s a drop in the ocean compared to the bigger hauls that go unnoticed. As Chanakya observed, it’s as hard to detect when a fish drinks water as it is to trace the hidden gains of a corrupt official. Bhullar’s misfortune was that his “drinking” became too obvious, triggering a complaint and an investigation. He probably thought he was just following the informal playbook that’s been in play for years.
The bigger issue is our selective outrage. We get fired up over what’s right in front of us-the cash stacks under the bed, the gleaming cars in the garage-but we turn a blind eye to the larger, more insidious forms of corruption that operate in the shadows. Those are the ones that cost the nation far more, yet they rarely make headlines because they’re wrapped in layers of legality and influence.

The biggest tragedy is that we get more indignation at what is directly visible, not at what is a lot more bigger and indirect.

The Hidden Grift

The corruption is systematic. Those in power make, frame, and bend rules to make new policies-cleverly concealing the reasons-to benefit their own cronies, and we go ga-ga over such policies. Often, someone occupies a chair-a head of an organization-just because he or she is connected to those in power. This isn’t random; it’s systematic, and we often celebrate these “reforms” without questioning the hidden motives.

Moral Decay Across Society

The moral rot is total.
Dishonesty runs from the lowest rung to the highest, infiltrating every field imaginable.

A day after Punjab’s Deputy Inspector General of Police (Ropar Range), Harcharan Singh Bhullar, was sent to 14-day judicial custody in connection with a Rs 8 lakh bribery case, the Bhagwant Mann government suspended the senior police official.

From top to bottom or bottom to top whether it is a govt servant or an individual running a private endeavour,
Everyone is trying their best to make whatever they can by dishonest means. Each has set a limit, a threshold depending on the conscience and opportunities.
Some call it privileges, others overhead expanses.

Some accept what comes naturally in the flow, some coerce, some force, and others find their own ingenious ways. Each has his own definition of corruption-camouflaging it by sweet words.

It can be in the form of donations, contributions, prescriptions , kickbacks, omissions and commissions.
It can be anything.
Some are subtle ways and some very direct like the present case .

Weighing less, charging more , adulteration , fake products, implicating or letting off.

But perhaps the most ironic is the fleecing near our religious places, where piety meets profiteering. Think of the touts at temples, hawking “VIP darshans” for exorbitant fees, essentially bribing the system for a faster glimpse of the divine. Fake sadhus peddle “blessed” trinkets at inflated prices, preying on devotees’ faith. At pilgrim sites, boatmen overcharge for rides, shopkeepers sell counterfeit prasad, and even priests demand extra “dakshina” for rituals. It’s as if the sacred aura gives license to cheat-fleecing the faithful while chanting mantras. This isn’t new; historical texts mention corrupt temple officials in medieval India, hoarding offerings meant for the gods.

From Clerks to Cops

This corruption is so deeply ingrained that government servants would find it difficult to afford a two-wheeler with only their salary, yet everybody down the chain affords a four-wheeler. Just check any office where it is possible; everyone makes money .

It is now an accepted norm in society.

Visit any office dealing with approvals, and you’ll see lifestyles that don’t match pay slips. It’s become so normal that no one bats an eye.

The police, being more visible in their uniforms and dealings, end up in the spotlight more often. They interact with the public daily-truck drivers, complainants, you name it-so their missteps are easier to catch and report. But make no mistake, the smaller fish and the sharks are swimming in every pond, from education to healthcare. The police are naturally more visible and hence more in the news. Otherwise, the bigger fishes and smaller fishes are everywhere.

The Public’s Role and Hypocrisy

And what about us, the ordinary citizens? We make a lot of noise on social media or in chai-shop discussions, sharing stories about the latest case but we seldom look inward or deeper. How many businesses keep their books spotless? How many of us have never slipped a note to speed up a process or avoid a hassle? We’re quick to condemn the visible culprits, but slow to acknowledge that the system isn’t broken-it’s functioning exactly as it’s been allowed to for decades. Corruption has become an accepted norm, woven into the fabric of society.

The public makes noises without delving deep inside. Is there truly anyone who keeps accounting clean? Let us not pretend the system is broken; let us acknowledge that it is simply working as designed.

Cultural Psyche

This brings us to a deeper question about our collective psyche. We Indians have a long tradition of making offerings to gods-flowers, fruits, coconuts, even gold-at shrines, all in hopes of seeking blessings, favors, or averting misfortune. It’s ingrained in our rituals: light a diya, chant a prayer, and drop something as an offering for that divine intervention. But does this stem from the same mindset that leads us to pay bribes to officials to get work done? Is it a cultural habit, where we view authority-be it godly or governmental-as something to appease with “gifts” for smooth sailing? Or is it deeper, perhaps in our genetics, a survival instinct honed over centuries of hierarchical societies where the powerful demanded tribute?
Psychologists might call it a form of transactional faith, where nothing comes free, not even grace. In villages, you’ll hear folks say, “Bhagwan ko chadhaava chadhao, kaam ban jaayega” (Offer to God, and the work will be done). Translate that to bureaucracy: “Sahib ko chai-paani do, file move hogi” (Give the official something and the file will move).

It’s the same psychology that pays up for protection or progress. And near religious sites, as I mentioned, this blends seamlessly: pilgrims bribed by pandas (priests) for better access, mirroring how we bribe clerks for quicker stamps. If it’s in our DNA, blame evolution; if it’s cultural, blame upbringing. Either way, it’s why Bhullar’s “sewa-paani” feels so familiar-it’s just another version.

Stop the Gasps

So, as Bhullar faces the music and the CBI digs further, let’s pause and reflect. This case isn’t an exception; it’s a symptom. If we’re truly surprised by it, perhaps we’ve been too complacent. Corruption flows as naturally as a river in our system, and nobody raises an eyebrow when it’s just the usual “chai-paani.” It’s only when someone gets too greedy, turning it into outright coercion beyond the unspoken limits, that complaints pop up and heads roll.
Real change won’t come from gasping at each new arrest. It requires demanding transparency from the very top-audited political funds, merit-based appointments, and policies that serve the public, not just the privileged. Until then, expect more such “revelations,” and maybe next time, we won’t be so taken aback.

In Chanakya’s words, the fish keeps drinking, and the water stays murky. But if we want clearer waters, we need to clean the pond from the source. Otherwise, it’s just business as usual.

Jatinder Pal Singh Retd CPMF Commandant