How To Pull Off A Sting Operation

One of the most controversial tricks up a journalist’s sleeve is the infamous sting operation that has busted the blossoming careers of many an entrepreneuring scammer. From corrupt politicians to lecherous middle-aged actors – whoever fell prey to those invisible spy cameras and recording devices saw their zealously guarded skeletons tumble out of their closets in full glory on national television.

Siddharth Pandey, ace journo and candid camera expert from NDTV has done it all. And he takes us through one of his historic candid camera exploits where he busted a ring of corrupt cops robbing hapless passengers on train.

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The Victim

Our intrepid reporter always fighting for truth and justice runs into a poor soul who experienced perhaps the worst forms of harassment from the people you are expected to turn to for protection. As he was travelling in the Utkal Express, which runs from Delhi to Orissa, a number of cops suddenly entered his compartment. They randomly started frisking the passengers and hauled a bunch of them towards the lavatory area for ‘questioning.’ They then forced them one by one into a loo where they were robbed by the cop waiting inside. Even the women were not spared…

The Decision

Our reporter was shocked. But when he heard the same tale from a number of passengers who had travelled on that train, he knew that this ring of loo-looters had to be flushed out. Since they had to captured red-handed in act, he realised that traditional journalistic techniques wouldn’t work in this case. So it had to be a sting!

The Setup

Out came the tiny, near invisible spy cameras and powerful pen-microphones. The camera were carefully fixed at various strategic points inside the train (the lavatory passage was especially well-bugged) by the technical experts, knowing well that one wrong move on their part would blow up the carefully laid trap.

Dressed as regular passengers, the team than mingled casually sipping on Frooti and munching chaana-jor-garam in wait for the moment of truth. When dusk fell and they had almost given up to go home, a bunch of brutish looking policemen barged inside their platform. The story played out exactly as our reporter had heard it.

Rolling... Camera… Action!

The cops proceeded to ‘check’ berth by berth and forcibly push and shove a number of passengers towards the lavatory area. Our reporter happened to be a part of the party. With all kinds of threats levied on them from accusing them of ‘planting bombs’ to ‘smuggling narcotics’, the cops then made away with all the cash they could from the passengers, never knowing for a moment that every move they made was being captured on the camera.

Caught Red Handed

As our reporter was being frisked and threatened at the same time, he revealed who the cops were really dealing with. Out flashed the jawdropper – the ‘press card’. The cops turned tail and ran, not even bothering to collect the loot, perhaps believing they would escape scot free.

The Moral Victory

Jumping out of the moving train, they disappeared into the night. The operation was then aired on TV and ensured that these marauding men of the law were suspended. The valiant efforts of our heroic reporter made the Utkal Express safe for travellers again.

From the December 2011 issue of FHM India.