Police say they investigated activists, who regularly filed complaints & PILs, after being told by Thane civic chief
Thane Police Commissioner is highly likely to initiate probe against RTI activists. This comes after Thane civic chief has cited the filing of numerous RTI applicants on the same subjects followed by regular complaints, writ petitions and PILs but withdrawing them later are among reasons cited by the Thane civic chief to Thane police commissioner to probe RTI activists.
The letter came to light days after Konkan bench of the state information commission (SIC) directed the public information officer (PIO) of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to provide letter written by the Thane civic chief to Thane Police commissioner seeking inquiry against RTI activist.
DNA in its September 9 issue had written about the order passed by K L Bishnoi, information commissioner after Shailesh Gandhi, former central information commissioner was not provided with information. Gandhi had sought information after reports in media that civic chief had asked police to act against some activist. The hearing at the commission came up recently after which the information was provided. The letter was written by Sanjeev Jaiswal to Parambir Singh, Thane police chief on March 2018. The letter of Jaiswal states that the motive of such applications is suspect and could be for blackmailing.
It goes on to ask for a probe into the people named in the letter stating that their complaints and applications are creating hurdles in the development work. It goes on to name 10 people among others and asks that they be inquired into. Last year two of the people named in the letter were arrested for alleged extortion in Thane. Thane police chief did not respond to call and SMS from DNA on whether the arrests last year were also the fallout of the letter and an update on other names.
"I had sought details because a narrative is being built that anyone who complains or files RTI regularly is primarily a blackmailer. That is a wrong narrative. The question is how do illegal things survive and how can government not focus on the wrongdoing. How can a person be blackmailed if he has not done anything wrong? If it is withdrawn at the court level, the authorities should be informing and approaching courts instead of creating a narrative," said Gandhi. Sanjeev Jaiswal did not reply to call and SMS from DNA.
The letter of Jaiswal also mentions the issue being taken by Pratap Sarnaik, MLA from Shiv Sena. "I had taken up the issue for entire Maharashtra and not just Thane. There are some people who made it their profession. If there are officers involved, action should be on them too," said Sarnaik.
‘NO BLACKMAILERS’
Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi slams TMC move
- Shailesh Gandhi, former central information commissioner, said he tried to find out the reasons for the probe against activists as he felt a narrative was being created to brand them ‘blackmailers’. He said a person can’t be called a blackmailers if he hasn’t done anything wrong.
- The question is how do illegal things survive and how can government not focus on the wrongdoing, asked Gandhi.TMC chief Sanjeev Jaiswal wasn’t available for comment
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