Lokayukta Complaint — Corruption, Vigilance and Where Each One Goes
Almost every corruption complaint that goes nowhere went to the wrong body. State officer or central officer decides the door — and it is the first thing to settle.
- Who to contact first
- The State Lokayukta or the State anti-corruption body for a State officer; the Lokpal or the Central Vigilance Commission for a public servant in the Union sphere.
- How to reach them
- The Lokayukta of your State under its own State Act; the CVC through its portal, which authenticates the complainant by OTP.
- How long to wait
- Set by each body’s own law and rules rather than by one national period.
- If they ignore you
- A demand for a bribe that is still live is a trap case for the State anti-corruption body — that is a different and more urgent route than a written complaint after the fact.
Official source · last verified 2 September 2026 — Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. GetNyay is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any government department.
If an official has demanded money and you have not yet paid, the State anti-corruption body is the route that matters, because it can act while the demand is still live. A written complaint filed after the money has changed hands is a much weaker thing — it becomes one person’s account against another’s, months later. The instinct is to pay first and complain afterwards. If you can avoid it, do: the complaint made before payment is the one with something behind it.
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All contact channels
Every channel below was read on an official page. Contact details change — the source for each is linked in the verification footer at the end of this page.
The escalation ladder, level by level
Work through these in order. Every forum above asks what you did below, and skipping a rung is the commonest reason a complaint is sent back.
- 1Identify the sphere firstWait Immediate
Settle whose officer it is — State or Union.
The department and whether it is a State department or a central one. This single question decides which body can act, and getting it wrong is the commonest reason a corruption complaint goes nowhere.
- 2Chief Vigilance Officer of the departmentWait As prescribed by the department
The departmental vigilance officer, where the matter is internal misconduct.
The officer, the conduct, the dates and the documents.
- 3State LokayuktaWait As prescribed by the State Lokayukta Act
The State Lokayukta, for a State public servant.
A specific allegation against a named public servant, in the form and with the supporting statement your State Act requires.
- 4Central Vigilance CommissionWait As prescribed by the Commission
The Central Vigilance Commission, for the Union sphere.
cvc.gov.in
A complaint through the portal, which needs a mobile number for OTP authentication. Keep the complaint number for tracking.
- 5State anti-corruption / vigilance bureauWait Act while the demand is live
The State anti-corruption body, where a demand is still live.
The official, the amount demanded, what it was demanded for, and when the next meeting is expected.
How the process runs
- 1Settle whether the officer is State or Union
This decides the door. A State officer goes to the State Lokayukta; a Union-sphere public servant to the Lokpal or the CVC.
then: if the demand is still live - 2Go to the State anti-corruption body first
They can act while the demand is live, which a written complaint after payment cannot replicate.
then: otherwise - 3File with the State Lokayukta, or the CVC
The Lokayukta under your State’s own Act; the CVC through its portal, which authenticates by OTP and issues a complaint number.
then: and in parallel - 4The department’s Chief Vigilance Officer
Useful where the conduct is internal misconduct rather than a criminal demand, and it creates a record inside the department.
What this system will not take up
Filing one of these wastes the whole period — it is closed on that ground alone.
- A service delay with no allegation of corruption — that is a grievance, and goes to the administration.
- A dispute with a private company, which is a consumer or civil matter.
- Anything pending before a court on the same allegation.
- Anonymous accusations without material, which these bodies generally do not act on.
What to have ready before you complain
Assemble these first. A complaint that opens with the identifying numbers gets routed; one that opens with how long this has been going on gets a template reply.
- The name and designation of the official, and the office.
- What was demanded, how much, and for which pending file or service.
- The date and place of each demand.
- The file or application number the demand relates to.
- Any message, call record or note evidencing the demand.
- The name of anyone who was present.
Timelines at a glance
How long to wait at each stage, and where that period comes from.
| Stage | Window | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| State Lokayukta | As prescribed by the State Act | Each State’s own Lokayukta Act, made under section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 |
| Central Vigilance Commission | As prescribed by the Commission | Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 |
| A live bribe demand | Act before the money is paid | The State anti-corruption body is the route that can act while the demand is live |
Common complaints handled here
Who runs this, and who is above it
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, and the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003
India runs two parallel anti-corruption structures and they do not overlap. The Lokpal and the Central Vigilance Commission deal with public servants in the Union sphere. State public servants belong to the State Lokayukta, constituted by each State’s own Act as section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 requires. Because each State legislates its own Lokayukta, the jurisdiction, the complaint form and the periods differ — this page publishes none of those State-specific details rather than risk publishing another State’s.
https://indiacode.gov.in/handle/123456789/2122 →If they ignore you — where to go next
What each forum costs and what it needs before it will take your case.
A live demand, acted on before the money is paid.
A public servant in the Union sphere, and a mobile number for OTP authentication.
Where the conduct is internal misconduct rather than a criminal demand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Lokpal and a Lokayukta?
The Lokpal deals with public servants in the Union sphere. A Lokayukta is a State institution dealing with State public servants, constituted by that State’s own Act — section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 requires every State to establish one. Because each State legislates its own, the jurisdiction, the complaint form and the periods differ from State to State, so check your own State’s Act rather than a general description.
A government official asked me for a bribe. Where do I complain?
If you have not yet paid, go to your State’s anti-corruption or vigilance body — that is the route that can act while the demand is still live, and it is far stronger than a complaint filed afterwards. If the money has already changed hands, file with the State Lokayukta for a State officer, or the Central Vigilance Commission for a public servant in the Union sphere. Record the official, the amount, the date and the file it relates to.
How do I file a CVC complaint?
Through the Commission’s portal, which requires a mobile number so that an OTP can be sent for authentication, and which issues a complaint number you can use to check status later. The CVC operates under the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 and its remit is corruption by public servants in the Union sphere — a complaint about a State department official filed there is likely to go nowhere.
Is there a national Lokayukta complaint portal?
No. There are as many Lokayuktas as there are States that have constituted one, each under its own Act with its own portal, form and address. This page publishes none of them, because giving you another State’s address would be worse than giving you none. Search for your own State’s Lokayukta, and check what its Act requires by way of a supporting statement or affidavit before you file.
Can I complain anonymously?
Generally these bodies do not act on anonymous or pseudonymous accusations, and the CVC portal authenticates the complainant by OTP. That is not an accident — an allegation of corruption against a named officer carries real consequences and the bodies want someone standing behind it. If exposure is your concern, the whistleblower route and the protections attached to it are the question to research for your particular situation.
Should I complain to the Collector instead?
Not for corruption. The district administration handles delay and administrative failure; a demand for money is a different allegation and gets handled as neither if you fold it into a service grievance. Keep the two complaints separate: pursue the pending file through the administration, and the demand through the Lokayukta or the anti-corruption body.
Letter and notice formats
Full sample letters you can adapt, or generate your own with your facts filled in — free.
Related escalation guides
Every contact detail on this page was read on an official page — primarily Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. Government contact details change without notice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it.
What we deliberately left blank (4)
- — Every State Lokayukta address, portal and phone number — one per State, and publishing the wrong State’s would be worse than publishing none. Deliberately left empty.
- — State anti-corruption bureau contacts and their trap-case procedures.
- — The complaint form, affidavit requirement and limitation period under each State Lokayukta Act.
- — The CVC site was not opened directly when this page was built; the portal and its OTP authentication are corroborated from material attributed to the Commission.