Report No. 29
White-Collar Crimes
6. White-collar crimes.-From the discussion in another part of the Santhanam Committee's Report1, it would appear, that the Committee attached great importance to the emergence of offences and mal-practices known as "white-collar" crime. We quote the relevant portion:-
"2.13. The advance of technological and scientific development is contributing to the emergence of "mass society", with a large rank and file and a small controlling elite, encouraging the growth of monopolies, the rise of a managerial class and intricate institutional mechanisms. Strict adherence to a high standard of ethical behaviour is necessary for the even and honest functioning of the new social, political and economic processes.
The inability of all sections of society to appreciate in full this need results in the emergence and growth of white-collar and economic crimes, renders enforcement of the laws, themselves not sufficiently deterrent, more difficult. This type of crime is more dangerous, not only because the financial stakes are higher but also because they cause irreparable damage to public morals. Tax-evasion and avoidance, share-pushing, mal-practices in the share market and administration of companies, monopolistic control, usury, under-invoicing or over-invoicing, hoarding, profiteering, sub-standard performance of contracts of construction and supply, evasion of economic laws, bribery and corruption, election offences and malpractices are some examples of white-collar crime.'
"2.14. Corruption can exist only if there is some one willing to corrupt and capable of corrupting. We regret to say that both this willingness and capacity to corrupt is found in a large measure in the industrial and commercial classes. The ranks of these classes have been swelled by the speculators and adventurers of the war period. To these, corruption is not only an easy method to secure large unearned profits, but also the necessary means to enable them to be in a position to pursue their vocations or retain their position among their own competitors.
It is these persons who indulge in evasion and avoidance of taxes, accumulate large amounts of unaccounted money by various methods such as obtaining licenses in the names of bogus firms and individuals, trafficking in licenses, suppressing profits by manipulation of accounts to avoid taxes and other legitimate claims on profits, accepting money for transactions put through without accounting for it in bills and accounts (on-money) and under-valuation of transactions in immovable property. It is they who have control over large funds and are in a position to spend considerable sums of money in entertainment. It is they who maintain an army of liaison and contact men, some of whom live, spend and entertain ostentatiously. We are unable to believe that so much money is being spent only for the purpose of getting things done quickly.
It is said that, as a large majority of the high officials are incorruptible and are likely to react strongly against any direct attempt to subvert their integrity, the liaison and contact men make a careful study of the character, tastes and weaknesses of officials with whom they may have to deal and that these weaknesses are, then, exploited. Contractors and suppliers who have perfected the art of getting business by under-cutting, of making good the loss by passing off sub-standard works and goods generally spare no pain or expenditure in creating a favourable atmosphere. Possession of large amounts of unaccounted money by various persons including those belonging to the industrial and commercial classes is a major impediment in the purification of public life. If anti-corruption activities are to be successful, it must be recognised that it is as important to fight these unscrupulous agencies of corruption as to eliminate corruption in the public services. In fact they go together."
1. Report of the Santhanam Committee, p. 11, paras 2.13 and 2.14.
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