How to complain to the Lokpal or Lokayukta about corruption
Who the Lokpal and Lokayuktas cover, the complaint form and affidavit under the 2020 Rules, the 7-year limit, what happens next, and faster routes.
In short
- The Lokpal investigates corruption by central public servants: the Prime Minister (with limits), Union Ministers, MPs, central government officers and staff of central bodies (Sec 14, Lokpal Act). State ministers, MLAs and state staff go to your state's Lokayukta.
- Complain on the form in the Lokpal (Complaint) Rules, 2020, with an affidavit and ID proof, online or by post to the Lokpal of India, New Delhi. No fee. Any Eighth Schedule language.
- The act complained of must be within seven years (Sec 53), and must be a corruption offence, not a service grievance.
- A knowingly false complaint can be punished (Sec 46); an honest one is protected and kept confidential.
- Bribe demanded right now? Call the state Anti-Corruption Bureau or CBI for a trap.
Corruption is not only a headline about big scams. It is the "speed money" for a file, the ration card that needs a bribe, the contract that goes to a relative. India created special watchdogs for corruption by public servants: the Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states. They work only for the right kind of complaint, filed the right way. This guide explains both.
Who the Lokpal can act against
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 created the Lokpal, a body of a chairperson and up to eight members, half of them judicial. It inquires into complaints that a public servant has committed an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988: taking a bribe, misusing office for gain, or holding assets beyond known income. Under Sec 14 it covers:
- the Prime Minister, except for matters of international relations, security, public order, atomic energy and space;
- Union Ministers and Members of Parliament, serving or former;
- Group A, B, C and D officers and employees of the Central Government (complaints about Group C and D staff are generally routed through the Central Vigilance Commission);
- staff of bodies set up by Parliament or funded or controlled by the Centre, such as public sector companies and boards, and office-bearers of societies and trusts receiving large government grants or foreign contributions.
State ministers, MLAs, state officers and municipal and panchayat staff fall under the Lokayukta. Sec 63 required every state to set one up; most have, but their powers and forms differ, so check your state Lokayukta's website.
What the Lokpal does not handle
It is not a grievance office. A delayed pension or a broken road is a service complaint for the department or the CPGRAMS portal. A Lokpal complaint must point to a corruption offence by a named public servant, within the last seven years (Sec 53). Anonymous complaints are not acted on.
Step by step: filing with the Lokpal
- Download the form annexed to the Lokpal (Complaint) Rules, 2020 from lokpal.gov.in. Part A is about you, Part B the complaint, Part C the public servant (one Part C per person named) and Part D the affidavit.
- Write the facts plainly: who did what, when, where, how much money or benefit was involved, and how you know. Attach numbered copies of your evidence.
- Swear the affidavit in Part D before a notary, oath commissioner or magistrate, on stamp paper as your state requires.
- Attach identity and address proof, such as Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence or passport.
- Send it by post or by hand to the Lokpal of India, Plot No. 6, Phase II, Institutional Area, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070, marking the envelope "Complaint to the Lokpal of India", or file it online on the Lokpal's portal. An online complaint must be followed by a signed hard copy within 15 days.
- Keep copies of everything and note the diary number you receive.
There is no fee. You may write in English, Hindi or any Eighth Schedule language.
Collect documents before you complain. An RTI application for file notings or tender records often gives you the paper trail that turns a suspicion into a complaint the Lokpal can act on.
What happens after you complain
The complaint is placed before a Lokpal bench, normally within 15 working days. The bench checks whether it is within jurisdiction and in the prescribed form; defective complaints are returned. It may then order a preliminary inquiry by its Inquiry Wing or the CVC, giving the public servant a chance to respond, and then a full investigation by the CBI or another agency, within the time limits the Act fixes (Sec 20). Your name and the officer's are confidential until the inquiry ends. The Lokpal can recommend transfer or suspension, order attachment of property, direct departmental action, and grant sanction to prosecute before a special court.
Under Sec 46, a person who makes a complaint knowing it to be false, frivolous or vexatious can be prosecuted and, on conviction, imprisoned for up to one year and fined. An honest complaint is protected even if it is not finally proved.
Other routes, often faster
- Trap case. If an officer is demanding a bribe now, call your state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) or, for central employees, the CBI's anti-corruption branch. They can record the demand and catch the officer accepting money. Under Sec 7, PC Act taking a bribe carries three to seven years' imprisonment. Giving a bribe is also an offence (Sec 8), but a person who was compelled to pay and reports it to the police or ACB within seven days is protected.
- Chief Vigilance Officer and CVC. Every central ministry, bank and public sector body has a CVO. The Central Vigilance Commission's PIDPI (whistleblower) scheme keeps your identity secret.
- Departmental complaint and CPGRAMS for misconduct that falls short of a corruption offence.
Rajesh, a contractor in Ranchi, loses a central public works tender after refusing to pay a "commission" of 5 percent to an executive engineer. He files an RTI and obtains the tender evaluation sheets, which show his lower bid was rejected on a ground that was never in the tender conditions. He fills the 2020 Rules form, naming the engineer in Part C, swears the Part D affidavit before a notary, attaches the RTI replies and the tender papers, and posts it to the Lokpal with his PAN copy. The Lokpal's bench orders a preliminary inquiry, and Rajesh's name stays confidential while the engineer is asked to explain the rejection.
Keep these ready
- Completed form under the Lokpal (Complaint) Rules, 2020, with a separate Part C for each public servant
- Affidavit in Part D, sworn before a notary or magistrate
- Self-attested copy of ID and address proof (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence)
- Numbered copies of evidence: receipts, letters, messages, RTI replies, tender or file documents
A long, angry letter without the form, the affidavit or proof of identity is returned without a look at the merits; the Lokpal processes complaints only in the prescribed format. Equally, do not exaggerate: Sec 46 punishes knowingly false complaints.
Where to go
- Lokpal of India, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, for central public servants; your state Lokayukta for state ministers, MLAs and state staff
- State Anti-Corruption Bureau or Vigilance Department for traps and state employees; CBI anti-corruption branch for central employees
- Central Vigilance Commission (including PIDPI whistleblower complaints) and the department's Chief Vigilance Officer
- Service grievances that are not corruption: pgportal.gov.in
- Threats: 112; free legal advice: 15100 (NALSA)
Common questions
Can I complain to the Lokpal about a state government officer or a municipal clerk?
Normally no. The Lokpal covers public servants connected with the Union government and central bodies. State ministers, MLAs, state officers, and municipal and panchayat staff come under the state Lokayukta, which has its own Act and form. The exception is a state officer acting in a central matter.
Is there a fee or a lawyer needed for a Lokpal complaint?
No fee, and no lawyer is needed. You need the prescribed form, a sworn affidavit, proof of identity and copies of your evidence. Free help with drafting is available from the District Legal Services Authority (15100).
Will the officer find out that I complained?
Not at the start. Your identity and the officer's are kept confidential until the preliminary inquiry or investigation is complete, unless the Lokpal orders otherwise. In a trap case run by the ACB, however, you will usually be a witness, so discuss protection with the investigating officer.
What if the bribe demand is happening right now?
Do not pay if you can avoid it. Call the state Anti-Corruption Bureau or CBI and ask for a trap; keep any messages or recordings. If you had no choice but to pay, report it to the police or ACB within seven days, because the Prevention of Corruption Act protects a person who was compelled to give a bribe and reports it in that time.
How old can the incident be?
The Lokpal cannot inquire into an offence alleged to have been committed more than seven years before the complaint (Sec 53). For older matters, an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act may still be possible, but delay weakens evidence.
This article is general information for awareness, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an advocate or call free legal aid at 15100.
