A jail term staring in the face of a onetime white collar bigwig sent several individuals with close ties to him into jitters and they soon swung into action.   

A rumour went viral soon afterwards that several politicos had been offered Rs.6 million each as inducement to use their influence to save the white collar bigwig in hot water.

A follow-up rumour said the politicos who accepted the inducements held a strong brief for the white collar bigwig at a meeting of a high-powered team that discussed the impending court case.

Nevertheless, what had to happen, happened after all, they say.