The police failed to take cognisance of a complaint filed by an RTI activist in March 2010 that stated that he had received death threats over a Right to Information application he had filed, despite a Bombay High Court order asking them to probe the matter.
The police failed to take cognisance of a complaint filed by an RTI activist in March 2010 that stated that he had received death threats over a Right to Information application he had filed, despite a Bombay High Court order asking them to probe the matter. This came to light when the complainant, Jay Kumar Raghuvanshi, filed another RTI application last month to find out his case's progress. The police finally registered an FIR at the Vitthalwadi police station near Ulhasnagar against diamond merchant Aditya Ashok Jogani on April 25, a year after Raghuvanshi approached them.
RTI activist Jay Kumar at his Ulhasnagar residence. Pic/ Atul kamble
Raghuvanshi filed an RTI application in February 2010, after he received an invitation for the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Hyderabad Sindh National Collegiate Board (HSCB) that unfolded on January 29, 2010. The card stated that former chief minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, was the chief guest.
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Raghuvanshi sought information on the CM's whereabouts on January 29 from Mantralaya and was informed that HSCB had never contacted the CM's office and Chavan was in Jalgaon on January 29. Raghuvanshi also approached the HSCB office to enquire about the money spent on the function.
On March 15, 2010, Raghuvanshi received a call from an unidentified mobile number. The caller identified himself as Ajinkya Padwal (the personal assistant of former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh) . "The caller threatened me and said I should withdraw the RTI application. He also said that two HSCB trustees, Manju Nichani and Niranjan Hiranandani, had asked him to make the call," said Raghuvanshi.
Raghuvanshi approached the Vitthalwadi police station the same day and shot off a letter to the Bombay High Court. The police dismissed him but a court order dated April 15 ordered a probe. Raghuvanshi received threatening calls till April 4, from the same number. "The caller boasted of links with top politicians and threatened to harm my family."
Investigations revealed that the number belonged to Mukesh Soni, a domestic help of Napean Sea Road-based Jogani who had used Soni's documents to buy the phone in 2006 and was the only one who used it. The police didn't file a case against Jogani until March 2011 when Raghuvanshi filed an RTI enquiry. "We have registered an FIR against Jogani and have formed a team to arrest him," said Balkrishna Patil, senior inspector, Vitthalwadi police station.
Meanwhile, President and Secretary, HSCB, Manju Nichani said, "I don't know Jogani. I am out of Mumbai. I will be able to comment on the matter only after I return." Niranjan Hiranandani was unavailable for comment.
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