CHANDIGARH — Following the discovery of Rs 7.36 crore in unexplained cash and 26 luxury watches at his premises, a former Deputy Inspector General is receiving quiet praise across government departments for establishing a deeply "structured network of middlemen."

The scale of the enterprise came to light after an aide was arrested accepting a Rs 5 lakh payment to settle a 2023 FIR and halt further police action. Agency investigators reviewing the operation noted that the official's system of extracting "sewa-paani" payments from local business owners, including a scrap dealer, demonstrated remarkable bureaucratic efficiency and cross-departmental synergy.

"Most public servants struggle to coordinate a simple road repair, yet this network successfully facilitated systematic extortion while accumulating Rs 2.32 crore in gold and silver," said an investigative spokesperson. "The delegation of daily bribe collection to specialized intermediaries allowed the senior leadership to focus entirely on long-term luxury asset acquisition."

With the probe now widening to include several IAS officers, IPS officials, and political figures, authorities confirmed the institutionalized bribery model has proven highly scalable. Investigators are currently reviewing the 50 recovered property documents to see what other administrative best practices can be implemented across the public sector.