The arrest of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, September 19, in Srinagar while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 is an open illustration of how corruption in high levels of the government offices is neither rare nor hidden. The officer was caught red-handed inside his office at Solina. His case may seem exceptional only because it reached the point of public exposure. In truth, it reflects a culture among some officers who have graft to seep into the highest levels of administration with the sole purpose of making riches for themselves at the cost of the overall image of the government. Sadly, we have a long and troubled history with corruption scandals. From the notorious recruitment scams to irregularities in contract allotments and more recent controversy around illegal mining leases and kickbacks in power development projects, the trail of graft runs deep across departments. In 2020, the CBI itself unearthed a recruitment racket in the J&K Police Sub-Inspector exams, shaking public confidence in the very process meant to be merit-based. Such episodes show that corruption is not a one-off lapse; it is a recurring feature of governance. The latest case lays bare how even mid-level officers feel emboldened to solicit bribes openly, certain that oversight is weak and punishment, if it comes, will be delayed. Vigilance institutions, including the J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), are chronically under-resourced. For every sting operation that makes headlines, there are countless unreported instances where citizens are forced to grease palms to get routine work done—from land mutations and tax clearances to licenses and government contracts. The culture of “chai-paani” has, over decades, been normalised by some tainted officers into a parallel economy that has corroded governance and deepened public cynicism. We don’t need episodic crackdowns, but a structural reset. The ACB and vigilance bodies need genuine independence and prosecutorial teeth. Second, technology needs to be hardwired into governance: digitised payments, e-tendering, and real-time file tracking would reduce opportunities for discretionary exploitation. Third, we need to have good whistle-blower protection laws so that citizens and honest officials can expose corruption without fear of reprisals. Most importantly, the political class must demonstrate the will to end protection rackets within bureaucracy. Unless those shielding corrupt officials are held accountable, arrests like this will remain cosmetic. Integrity should be enforced through swift, exemplary punishment, not just token suspensions. The arrest of the JKAS officer is not just one case. It is an illustration of a part of our system and it should not go down as just another addition to J&K’s long list of scandals where headlines came, outrage flared, and then nothing changed.