Gen V K Singh was not the only one offered a bribe

New Delhi : Army chief Gen V K Singh’s dramatic disclosure that he was offered 14 crore rupees as bribe if he agreed to approve purchase of sub-standard vehicles for the Indian Army has opened a Pandora’s box. Several celebrities and well-known personalities from different walks of life, strictly on condition of anonymity, have admitted to Tenali Rama that they too were offered a bribe.

Officials of a telecom company reportedly offered a bribe of 14 crore rupees to a former Telecom minister to favour them with a 2G license before others. The minister was reportedly livid that they had not floated half a dozen fruits and vegetables companies to route the money properly and refused to do business with such amateurs.

The VIP who was lording over the Delhi Commonwealth Games has confessed that he was offered a bribe not in cash but in kind by a sanitaryware company before the CWG. The firm reportedly offered to send 14 crore commodes to the VIP’s home which he could sell to builders and keep the money. His Man Friday advised him not to take this s****y offer even if it helps Indians improve their sense of hygiene.

Passengers travelling by a sick airline offered to pay 14 rupees more per ticket if the flight from Bangalore to Delhi would take off. The offer was rejected by the flamboyant owner of the carrier who said the money from all the passengers couldn’t buy him one carton of beer, leave alone one litre of Aviation Turbine Fuel. However, some passengers told Tenali Rama that the pilots and airhostesses happily accepted the money, since they had not received salaries for four months.

Filmgoers in Mumbai collected 14 crores by way of voluntary donations and offered it to a kabhi-brilliant-mostly-trash filmmaker to request him to stop making films like `ABC ki fire’. He refused to take the money and instead made a film that made the audience `Run’ from the theatres.

This one is not too recent but reports suggest that money was to be offered to a former prime minister by industrialists close to his regional party, to ensure he is awake most of the time and works for the party. The offer has still not been made apparently because they are waiting for him to wake up.

This one is from the cricket grapevine. A bribe of 14 crore rupees was reportedly offered by some unknown people to a cricketer-turned-commentator to persuade him to leave the microphone for good. He however, shocked everyone by announcing at the post-match presentation ceremony, “I have just been witness to the mother of all bribes. An electrifying amount of 14 crore rupees was offered to me to keep off the commentary box. The offer hit me like a tracer bullet. All three results were possible – either I said yes to the offer or said No or took some of the money. But I told them the people love my voice and I would not leave this job even for hot Indian curry.”

This one a bit difficult to believe but apparently cows in Bihar offered to collect money and give a bribe to a former chief minister of the state so that he no longer stole their fodder. Unconfirmed sources told Tenali Rama that he took the 14 crores but continued to pilfer the fodder.