My experiences with RTI

[dhanabalan]

RTI Act is really helpful to me. Police officials were misused the FIRs. Each FIR contains 6 sheets. Police used only 3 sheets to register the case. Other 3 sheets were used to threaten the innocents to get the bribe and then destroyed the 3 sheets. I unearthed through RTI .

FIR printed numbers and Crime numbers are not tallying. In some cases FIRs were reserved for later use. In some cases, crime numbers were reserved. Further, 5 crime numbers were booked in one FIR. Some FIR copies were not sent to court. Some FIR copies are not available in station, in DSP office and in court. I unearthed all this through RTI . Now I filed a petition in High court to direct the Vigilance & Anticorruption to register FIR against the police officials.

One person murdered his illegal second wife and the body was destroyed in fire without informing to police and Village Administrative Officer. That person paid bribe to police for not registering FIR against him. I sent application under RTI . DGP replied "on enquiry she died due to eating of poison". The ADGP destroyed the file connected with the reply of DGP. I filed a petition at High Court to register FIR. FIR was registered under IPC 176, which is non cognizable offence. Even the FIR was not sent to the JM court. ADGP and other police officials would be booked for not registering FIR under section IPC 201.

Police received bribe from the criminals and FIR was not registered for the theft complaints from 2005. I complained to IGP. IGP directed to register FIR. Afraid of departmental action by the IGP for the refusal to register FIR, police officials received signature from the petitioners in blank empty white paper and they later filled as they like. Some petitioners complained to the IGP and SP. No action. I sent complaint to DGP. No reply. Appealed at Information Commission. Enquiry was conducted by Information commission. PIO gave a non speaking, incomplete and evading answer. I again appealed to the Commission.

RTI Act is a powerful tool. But the Information Commissioners are very lienient. The PIOs are exploiting the leniency.

Thank you.

Dhanabalan

[ambrish.p]

shifted from ask rti query to success stories

[sandeepbaheti]

Dhanabalan,
For the benefit of all members, please give details of how you proceeded with getting the information and what hurdles you had to face during the process.

[dhanabalan]

On 24-11-2007, about 10 FIRs were registered in my presence. Police used only 3 sheets. Petitioners were given xerox copies of FIR in the next day. Confirmed that the police used only 3 sheets out of 6 sheets. Only for murder cases, they used all the six sheets.

Police arrested one of my friend based on complaint during September 2007. In the police station, police wrote one FIR and destroyed. Wrote second FIR and destroyed the same. Wrote third FIR. So I confirmed that police destroyed the FIR.

Through RTI , as per the Commission's order, I received 100 FIRs from Police station. These FIR copies are the evidence to file petition in the High Court.

Through RTI , I got reply from Judicial Magistrate that some FIR copies were not sent to the court.

Through RTI , the Deputy Superintendent of Police accepted the misuse of FIR in police station.

Through RTI , District Collector ordered a RDO enquiry for the unnatural death of that girl.

Through RTI , I requested the District Collector to take action against RDO and VAO.

Through RTI , I unearthed the corruption in Town Panchayat. Almost all the contracts were given to one person. Corruption in assessing the house tax. Low quality of pvc pipes were layed. Pipes were layed at a depth of one foot instead of three feet. No press tender even if the cost of work exceeds 10 lakhs.

Dhanabalan

[Atul Patankar]

This is a great story, almost unbelievable.

Have you got prompt replies to all RTI queries? how many applications and appeals you made before gathering such info? Did you not receive 'record not available' or 'record destroyed' or 'personal information undisclosable u/s 9' type answers? Didn't you get any threats? Never told to mind your own business?

It seems you were butting heads with some powerful people. The members will certainly like to know how you were able to achieve this.

You may also upload some of your RTI Applications and responses you received, so that other members may use them as guidelines for making similar impact on police/ local governance at their places.

[dhanabalan]

For case number 7664, Information commissioner directed the PIO to give information but the PIO gave false reply. I complained again to commission. I also complained to DGP. DGP marked to Superintendent of Police. SP said that the information given by the PIO is correct.

I sent seperate complained to DGP from the document supplied by the PIO . Enquiry conducted by the commission. Directed the PIO to give reply. PIO gave false reply without reasoning under section 4(1)(d) . Complained to Commission.

The Executive officer of Town Panchayat threatened me that he will complain to the police that I misbehaved in his office. I escaped. Now I am not going to that office. Only in writting. But often the EO called me to his office on malafide intention.

Commission directed the PIO to allow me to inspect the blank unused FIR sheets kept in station. PIO accepted in presence of the Commissioner. Afterwards, the Inspector said that it is not available in station.

Both Inspector and DSP said that some office copy of FIR are missing. In spite of commission direction they did not give.

7 Application sent to PIO for some information by post. But the PIO , instead of sending the information by post, asked me to come to his office to inspect those papers. I appealed to FAA . FAA directed the PIO to give the information in writing without inviting me to his office. Again there was delay. I informed the FAA to send the reply within 30 days. The FAA sent a letter to PIO under section 5(4) (5).

I sent application under RTI to Director(Town Panchayat). He sent it to AD(TP) under 5(4) (5). AD(TP) sent it to EO under 5(4) (5).

Dhanabalan

[maestro25i]

wow, and i thot i went thru a lot of hassle to get information , apparently i had it easy ! after reading ur experience...

however did u finally get all the information u requested and were u able to use it ?
or did u get partial information u couldnt use to achieve your end purpose ?

[Bimal Kumar Khemani]

I must CONGRATULATE Dhanabalan for the courageous works done for correcting the system

[dhanabalan]

I have exposed corruption in my Town Panchayat through RTI . Today 11-7-2009 at about 8.30am, the Chairman of Town Panchayat sent 15 rowdys to my house for exposing his corruptive activities. The rowdys threatened me that they will murder me if I do not stop asking information under RTI Act. The leader of the rowdy gang is another pachayat president. Both are ruling party. I immediately met the Superintendent of police in person and gave complaint . He immediately handed over my complaint to the Deputy Superintendent of police to take action. I sent copy of petitions by registered post to the SP, DSP and Inspector. I sent telegram to Inspector. Police officials will not register FIR against those persons belong to ruling party.
Dhanabalan

[sunaabhsarkar]

Originally Posted by dhanabalan

RTI Act is really helpful to me. ......RTI Act is a powerful tool. But the Information Commissioners are very lienient. The PIOs are exploiting the leniency......

Dhanabalan

True, this is the stark reality.


If a complainant misses a single hearing, the complains are promptly dropped. It is a long and tedious process to reopen the complaints only after the complaiant is rebuked sternly for missing the dates or calls. This is not so when the PIOs deliberately disobey the orders of IC to attend hearing.

Also when the hearings streatch over endless months due to the PIOs, the cmplainants are rarely copensated for the monetary losses due to delays and streatching of the hearings for no fault of theirs.

Then there are instances of delays due to complaints getting transferred from one judge to another, and postponement, adjournment of hearings etc etc. All these further contribute to frustrate the complainant.