Deepak’s Makkal Saatchi Platform Tracks Everyday Corruption Across Tamil Nadu

A software engineer identified as Deepak has launched a new platform named Makkal Saatchi, or People’s Witness, to anonymously document everyday corruption across Tamil Nadu. The project originated from public frustration over shops allegedly charging above the maximum retail price, eventually expanding to cover 75 distinct categories of public services including land registration, revenue offices, and police stations.

Driven by the success of his initial experiment involving complaints against liquor retail shops, Deepak scaled the initiative into a comprehensive transparency tool. The platform operates independently of political parties, NGOs, or government bodies, relying on citizen-submitted reports to expose systemic patterns of bribery and harassment without the author seeking funding or organizational affiliation.

While the website functions as a reporting repository rather than an investigative agency, it has already prompted specific interventions in cases of alleged police misconduct. By publicizing anonymized accounts of corruption, the platform creates social pressure that has led to calls from senior officials and subsequent administrative inquiries, highlighting a growing citizen-led demand for institutional accountability in the state.