Dear Nutan-ji, Really saddened to know about this. I think we need to have an organised way to handle such rampant aggression. Can I suggest to the National RTI Forum to procure a few spy camers - they do not cost more than 2-3k - and provide them to RTI activists when required? These kind of rampant corrupt officials can be easily caught by such a mechanism.
Thanks, Karthik On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 9:29 AM, Nutan Thakur <[email protected]>wrote: > > > Dear Friends, > > Here I am going to present a case which I am sure you would not even have > dreamt of. This relates to Sri Pawan Agarwal, resident of Jilal Street, > Mandi Chauk, Moradabad and an RTI activist. Sri Agarwal has been an > active and fearless RTI activist whose exposures of the State’s functioning > at the district and Headquarters level has earned him the wrath of many of > government functionaries and he has also been sent to jail in supposedly > forged and framed criminal cases. But as per the letter sent by him to the > National RTI Forum the worst is what happened to him on31/05/2010 and > 01/06/2010. > As per his letter, he had presented a complaint No S1-16C/2009 in Court > No-1 belonging to the Chief Information Commissioner of the Uttar Pradesh > State Information Commission in which he appeared on 31/05/2010. In this > case as per Sri Agarwal’s version when his turn came, Sri Ranjit Singh > Pankaj, who is the CIC of Uttar Pradesh, took out a paper from his pocket in > a planned manner and put it before Sri Agarwal. Among other points, one > thing that was written there was-“I do not want this information anymore. I > am taking back my application.” This is something that one can’t even think > of. This certainly is the limit of irresponsible behavior amounting to > criminal misconduct. That too by the State Chief Information Commissioner. > When Sri Agarwal refused to sign the paper, he says that he was badly > threatened in open court and the CIC eventually got the paper signed with > the help of the security guards present there. Sri Anil Bishnoi, an > advocate and resident of Chamber No- 140, In front of Ward Commissioner , > Kachari, Moradabad was presumably also present with him. > As per Sri Pawan, unfortunately the same thing again > happened in complaint No S1-750C/2009 in the same court the very next day. > This time another RTI activist Sri Salim Beg, again from Moradabad and a > very active member of our Forum was also present there in the Chamber and he > testifies the events. > The National RTI Forum not only condemns this behavior as being of a very > serious nature. We have also written to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh to > get an enquiry done in this matter take suitable action against the CIC > under section 17 (1) and 17(2) of the RTI Act if the facts are found true.. > > Dr Nutan Thakur, > Convenor, > National RTI Forum, > Lucknow > # 94155-34525 > > > > -- http://karthikrb79.blogspot.com When one bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made.
