A citizen in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, took an unusual step at the Municipal Corporation on Tuesday, November 11, to expose alleged bribery by municipal officials. A phone call made in front of the mayor revealed how money was being demanded for building approvals.
According to a report in NDTV, the incident happened during the regular Janta Darshan session at the Morena Municipal Corporation. Pankaj Rathore, who had been visiting the office for several days to get a building permit, claimed that a broker had been repeatedly asking for money in the name of municipal officers. To make his point, he dialed the broker in front of the mayor and other officials to let everyone hear the details firsthand.
Exposing Bribery Through A Phone Call
The entire
conversation was captured on video which later circulated widely online. As soon as the call went on speakerphone, the broker began detailing the amounts allegedly required to “clear” files.
The conversation openly named officials and the sums expected. This left no room for doubt about the claims made by Pankaj.
On the call, Pankaj asked, “Ab mujhko kya karna hia? Aapko dene hai Rs 3 lakh? (Now what do I have to do? Do I need to give Rs 3 lakh?).” The broker responded, “PDF bana kar daal do mere pas aur Rs 3,000 PhonePe kardo (Make a PDF and send it to me and transfer Rs 3,000 via PhonePe).”
Pankaj then asked for clarification: “Eske bad sara kaam aap dekh loge. Kitne-kitne aur lagenge wo aur bata do (After this, you will see all the work. Tell me how much more will be needed).” The broker replied, “Wo maine aapko bta diye (I have already told you).”
Trying to confirm the amounts, Pankaj asked, “Pankaj ji ke Rs 10,000 se kam nahi honge? (Won’t Pankaj’s amount be less than Rs 10,000?),” to which the broker said, “Nahi honge (No, it won’t be less).”
He then asked, “Rs 4,000 kisko dene hai? (Who should I give Rs 4,000 to?),” and the broker told him the money had to go to “someone with a photo.” When Pankaj asked for the name, the broker said, “Bhanu Tomar.” The broker also mentioned Rs 1,000 for the building clerk, Ajay Parihar.
Pankaj calculated: “Toh wese Rs 15,000-Rs 17,000 tak jaenge? (So, it will go up to Rs 15,000–Rs 17,000?),” and the broker added that there was also a government slip that required a separate payment. Pankaj then confirmed: “Toh ye rishvat ke jaenge Rs 18,000? (So, the total bribe will be Rs 18,000?),” and the broker agreed.
When the call ended, everyone in the hall who had been watching the conversation unfold was stunned. Pankaj then turned to the crowd and asked, “Ab batao kisko lagana hai? (Now tell me who should I dial?)”
Watch The Clip Here
A youth went to the Mayor with a bribery complaint. Mayor: dont lie, have you got any proof? The guy thought for a while & dialed the officials and put the bribe request on loudspeaker. Morena, Madhya Pradesh काश यहा ं मोदी की डबल इंजन सरकार होती!
byu/tutankhamunas insundaysarthak
Viewers Call Out The System
The video of Rathore’s call caught the attention online with viewers expressing anger over the way the bribe was openly demanded.
One user commented, “Great work! Every innocent citizen should fight corruption like this!”
Another added, “Hats off to the guy. However, it is not possible that upper management does not know that people are taking bribes in their office. Don’t think anything will happen but we hope it does!”
“Such a sad statement. At least in logon pe to action lelo. But hats off to guy. It’s just that, we don’t fight back. This guy did,” a person wrote.
An individual said, “Need of the hour. I think many should turn as rebels to make India better.”
“This is the actual state of the country. I hope this youth does not become the one who faces the brunt of it,” someone else remarked.
A viewer called for strict action, saying, “Every single person should be terminated.”
Action Taken By Municipal Authorities
Following the incident, Morena Municipal Commissioner Satendra Singh Dhakare confirmed that he had heard the recording. He told NDTV that show-cause notices have been issued to the employees and officers named in the conversation. Information about the broker is also being investigated to determine the basis of his claims.
The commissioner clarified that the building permission process is entirely online. “There is no need to visit the Municipal Corporation. One applies through an architect, the fee is generated online, and the permission is issued digitally,” Dhakare said.
At the time of the complaint, no online application from Rathore had been found. He called the situation “beyond comprehension” but assured that a full investigation would be conducted.
