In normal course I do not participate in such discussion and continue doing my
work. But Mr. Roy is generally in a habit to engage people by extending and
enforcing on us, unsuspecting citizens. In my 25 year life as a journo I have come
across many Mr. Roys who likes to throw eggs on others at the slightest pretext.
Now coming to his posting on Mr. Prabhu, I wish to clarify that he is a
distinguished member of RTI community in Mumbai and Maharashtra. He has done a yeoman service when along with three other members he forced the state SIC to
direct the MCGM not to charge for documents at whims and fancies and made the
public authority to follow the rules in letter and spirit. It is because of Mr.
Prabhu that today Mumbaikars pay only Rs.2 per page for obtaining property
assessment documents for which prior to this order MCGM was charging a whopping
Rs.260 per year.
Now coming to the words "in defense of blackmailers" which Mr. Roy has preferred
to anoint Mr. Prabhu with. Being a journalist, I had faced the similar music of
being dubbed as a "blackmailer" by none other than Mr. Manmohan Singh, the so
called most honest PM. The issue was that as the FM he had introduced a scheme
called value based advance license which was subsequently deleted due to constant
campaign against it by yours truly. In one of the news piece on a particular Joint
DGFT who had issued Rs.400 crore worth of import license to import commodities
free of customs duty without being authorised. CBI had booked him and he had told
the investigators that he was related to Manmohan. I had inserted this in my news
piece with full knowledge of the background of the case being briefed to my
immediate superior. I had categorically mentioned that this officer claimed to be
a relative of Manmohan but the latter was not involved in the scam. Next morning
even as the paper hit the stand and delivered to Manmohan, after reading it he
called up my editor and protested that I was blackmailing him. My editor a
prominent name, shirked in his bed. He called up my resident editor and started
shouting at him. He in turn shouted at my immediate superior whom I had kept in
the loop before filing the story. This gent calls me to say that Manmohan has
termed you as the blackmailer for writing what was published in the day's edition.
On reaching office I went to my resident editor accompanied by my immediate boss
and asked him "do you know the meaning of blackmaling?' He was stunned when I told
him that blackmailing means you have done something wrong of which I learn and
contact you directly or indirectly to ask for some favour in cash or kind. Both of
you know that I had neither contacted Manmohan but had given him a clean chit.
Both my bosses agreed with me that it was not a case of black mailing but
inferiority complex that Manmohan suffered fearing inculpated in criminal cases.
The scheme introduced by him known as VABAL was deleted because of rampant misuse
by a few thousand importers causing losses to the tune of Rs.1 lakh crore and my
campaign forced him to delete. In that case even Chidambaram had as next FM helped
those who had misused the scheme through ill gotten double benefits by usurping
the power of a central excise superintendent and writing of duty worth several
crores. What is more intriguing is the CAG took notice of my news articles and
concluded that nation lost lakhs of corers but in the next report ractified that
there was no loss to the nation. I have narrated this story mainly for the benefit
of the likes of Mr.Roys who probably genuinely believe that they are knowalls and
they alone have powers to dub others with paints of their choice.
Let me brief you more case of Mr. Roy's bias. He had terms former CIC ANT as one
of the most honest and competent officers. Let me share my experience with all of
you that ANT had in one of my case referred the second appeal to the full bench
headed by the then CIC WH with SG thrown in. In my written submission I had
pointed out the errors in ANT's order referring the matter to full bench. This
made them feel black and blue and passed a 35 page order through which they
changed the game by making transfer under 6(3) to be treated as a fresh
application for which applicant was made to pay fresh fees. From where on earth
these gentlemen had drawn powers to introduce something which even the legislature
was not aware? And this order was subsequently cited as a preceding case law by
all the ICs. Recently during an public interaction with SG when I had raised the
issue he had no answer. He was also looking black and blue when I raised the issue
of sticking to rules in letter and spirit while dealing with RTI Appellants who
are not trained as professional lawyers. Even the Supreme Court waives technical
lapses when the litigant is not represented by professionally trained people. I
have experienced this even in Mumbai High Court.
Hence instead of fighting for non-issues and dubbing all of us with choicest
colours likes of Mr.Roys must concentrate on using the most potent weapon that
this democracy has empowered us with and strengthen the same. By calling Mr.
Prabhu or citing him being reported as a defender of black mailers, Mr. Roy has
not only undermined the role of Mr. Prabhu but has exhibited his extra ordinary
sense of being a ignorable pest. I reiterate that Mr. Prabhu is a proud member of
our community and deserves to be praised for what he is doing to the society and
Mr. Roys must desist from using his tainted brush which describes ANT whose ego
was hurt when his injudiciousness was pointed out to him.
Jai Hind
Ketan Modi
eive t
On Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:38:15 +0530 wrote
>Dear Mr Gupta,
My heading was "fair comment", and Mr Prabhu has appreciated it (and
the spirit it was made). Mr Prabhu's reply has also been fully
circulated to all concerned by me.
The "reality" is that in the law of India (such as IPC) if any one
(say Mr. "A") blackmails / extorts for a contravention by say Mr "B",
then Mr "A" is to be penalised (and not Mr "B").
Mr Prabhu continues to state that no, no first punish Mr. B then go
after Mr. A. It is RTI activists like these who are murdering RTI Act
by misusing RTI for a purpose it was not intended. RTI is not a
primary tool / weapon to be used to "fight" corruption. As the news
article states it is these RTI PARASITES who file multiple coordinated
frivolous RTIs in vexatious manner who are being (rightly) prosecuted
/ targeted by the State.
Sarbajit
On 1/7/12, M.K. Gupta
> The heading "Mr. Bhasker Prabhu defends RTI blackmailers" is in bad taste
> and far from reality.
>
> ________________________________
> From: Sarbajit Roy
> To: humjanenge
> Sent: Friday, 6 January 2012 8:10 PM
> Subject: Fwd: [.RTI.] [HumJanenge] Mr. Bhaskar Prabhu defends RTI
> blackmailers
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Bhaskar Prabhu
> Date: Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 11:53 PM
> Subject: Re: [.RTI.] [HumJanenge] Mr. Bhaskar Prabhu defends RTI
> blackmailers
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 11:42 PM, Bhaskar Prabhu
>
>
> Dear Sarbajit,
>>
>>Thanks for twisting the issue and appreciate your way of coercive black
>> mailing. Any way we both are seasoned enough to face each other. Atleast
>> now you are less using the word "Ha..mi". I also know you are expecting
>> for me to respond as we had not talked or exchanged mails.
>>
> I stand by what I have said if there is black then there may be black mail
> by black sheep RTI users. Any applicant when he asks for information and if
> he finds wrong doing then some may see that action is taken but miniscule
> use the information other wise, let the authority take action and also
> correct the wrong doing done either by predecessor or by current officers by
> demolitions of illegal matters or any remedial actions to keep it as per to
> law of the land and also parallely investigate the matter if the matter
> concerns the black mailing by the applicant, and i don't think anything
> wrong in my thought, may be it is some thing different to your mind having
> twisting nature.
>>
>>I always say if any body wants to be stronger with intelligence for turning
>> the issues like inserting sugarcane by twisting it in sugarcane crusher
>> then learn from Mr Sarbajit the
>>
>>It was a very wide from you better next time
>>
>>Not a single authority is able to show any officer to be victim of
>> blackmailing. It is the builder who is sowing seeds of complaints through
>> the officers who are corrupt, who don't want to take action on wrong
>> doings by the builders.
>>
>>Why leave or allow the wrong things to happen so as to create any
>> opportunity for black mails.
>>
>>Such exchange of emails will make me stronger and happy to get doses from
>> you.
>>
>>Any way do you know anybody committed, to be a part of work social audit
>> who is in civil engineering side ?
>>
>
> Though I have not listed myself in the group that you have enlisted me, I
> cannot post it there so post on my behalf the message.
>
>
>>Thanks Sarbajit.
>>
>>Yours in service of RTI
>>
>>Bhaskar Prabhu
>>Mahiti Adhikar Manch
>>
>>
>>
>>On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 11:01 PM, Sarbajit Roy
>>
>>http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_pune-cops-to-crack-whip-on-rti-
blackmailers_1633390
>>>
>>>A leading newspaper has quoted Mr Bhaskar Prabhu as saying the following
>>> "The police should investigate which information has been sought. If
> found worthy, action should be taken against the authority concerned
> before punishing blackmailer."
>>>
>>>The DNA article details several tricks used by RTI blackmailers whom Mr
>>> Prabhu is defending
>>>
>>--
>>Yours in service of RTI
>>
>>Bhaskar Prabhu
>>Mahiti Adhikar Manch
>>9892102424
>>
>>Watch this Video ��®ुंबईकरानो- हाव्हिडियो बघा(��©० ऑक्टोबर२०११)
>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP_Lx1HSvDI
>>
>>
>>Citizen's Independent Candidate for BMC Elections 2012
>>
>>https://sites.google.com/site/bhaskarprabhubmc195
>>
>>
>>www.facebook.com/mahitiadhikarmanch
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Yours in service of RTI
>
> Bhaskar Prabhu
> Mahiti Adhikar Manch
> 9892102424
>
> Watch this Video ��®ुंबईकरानो- हाव्हिडियो बघा(��©० ऑक्टोबर२०११)
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP_Lx1HSvDI
>
>
> Citizen's Independent Candidate for BMC Elections 2012
>
> https://sites.google.com/site/bhaskarprabhubmc195
>
>
> www.facebook.com/mahitiadhikarmanch
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