• I Paid A Bribe
• 10 years ago
• 12682 views

Hello, My parents although educated do not know how to operate internet…

• Police
• Police Verification for Passport
• Paid INR 1,200

Hello,

My parents although educated do not know how to operate internet and so writing on their behalf.

My dad and mom have applied for their passports and were done with our scheduled appointments @ passport seva kendra, Tirupathi. They were told of the police verification that was to be followed.

After 2-3 days of the PSK appointment, the police verification officer visited our home.
After submitted all required documents, answering all his questions and verification from my neighbors, the officer was not ready to leave with the documents until 1000 Rupees was paid.
He was upset after he learns that it was only 1000 rupees and claimed that he collects 1000 rupees for each passport verification usually from others (as part of process?).

He even mentions that my brother would have not received his passport if he hadn't helped him during his last visit for police verification for my brother's passport. When my father questioned him of why he was mentioning that? (The question was actually whether my brother was a thief and are there any police complaints or records on him?, which aren't) the officer mentions that he is not suppose to give these information.

Listening to this my father pays him another 200 rupees (totaling to 1200 rupees for two passports) to which the officer mutters something and left the scene.

After two days of this incident, I have been told that my mom received an sms saying "Police Report has been submitted by SP Office, District Anantapur and action for passport printing is initiated, to be followed by lamination, signing, quality check and dispatch" but my father hasn't received any such sms or update till date.

I am afraid that the officer is intentionally delaying in submitting my father's police verification report so that when my he (my father) inquires about this with the officer, the officer can demand some more money by saying there are some complications with his (my father's police verification) report and demand some money (indirectly).

I had to pay bribe when I got my passport, again when my brother got his passport and now for my parents also? I wont be surprised if I had to pay bribe for getting my kids passport in future.
All this inspite of having all valid proof's and documents required for police verification?

Is there no full-stop for this? The way the police verification is being handled needs to be changed by Passport Authority of India other wise, there's no end for this.

(As a secondary measure, the citizens should be provided an option (legally) that they can record the audio and video visuals of the conversation with the passport verification officer which can be used as a proof to defend that the officer did visit them and all required details were collected. This way at-least some officer would think twice before demanding bribe)

My father's name: Lakshmi Narayana G
Mother's name: Radha Rani G
Place: Guntakal, Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh

My name: Vikram G
Location: Fremont, California, USA

The police verification was to be done by "SP Office, District Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh"