Paying the price for seeking info?
Prasanna has been slapped with two cases for using the RTI Act to know the status of neighbour's property at JP Nagar
S Kushala kushala.satyanarayana@timesgroup.com
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/MIRRORNEW/navigator.asp?Daily=BGMIR&showST=true&login=default&pub=MM
RTI activists in the national capital are raising their voice against the increasing number of false cases being filed against whistle blowers. And the ugly trend is catching up here too. R V Prasanna, a software consultant from Rajajinagar II block, is facing the wrath of the authorities and fighting court cases apart from living under threat — all for filing an RTI application to unearth the fact that his neighbour had illegally used a residential building for commercial purpose.
After his stint abroad, Prasanna, came down for good to settle in Bangalore and live with his aging parents. All was well till the neighbouring building was sold. The new buyer demolished the structure and constructed a new one for commercial use. It was rented out for offices and huge bill boards were displayed. Fed up with the constant noise and vehicles parked haphazardly by people visiting the neighbouring shops, Prasanna filed an RTI application with the BBMP in 2008-09 to know the nature of the land use. BBMP's reply revealed that the land was meant for residential use.
The 38-year old says, "Then began all the problems. Taking note of my RTI application, the BBMP issued a notice to the building. The building owner got furious with me and started harassing me and my parents. Some rowdy elements tried breaking our main door, smashed the window panes and damaged our property. Unable to bear the harassment, my father died. The owner also filed a case against me.''
His 53-year old mother Bhagya narrates, "Garbage is thrown into our compound. Eggs are thrown at our walls. I am followed everywhere and our house is always under watch." Then came the worst part. When Prasanna pursued the building case and sought to inspect property tax files, the Karnataka Information Commission ordered the BBMP revenue officer to fulfil the petitioner's request.
On October 28, 2011, when Prasanna went to inspect the files and asked for certified copies, Rajajinagar assistant revenue officer L Lakshmamma refused to furnish the copies. This led to arguments. When he began questioning the officials, the ARO filed a harassment case against Prasanna complaining that he abused her and threatened to kidnap her.
Prasanna says, "When she refused to give me certified copies, I started arguing with her. The next day, a harassment case was filed against me stating that I threatened to kidnap her."
When contacted, Lakshmamma bluntly said: "He was not satisfied with the papers (read documents) that we gave him and kept on asking us to provide more information. So I filed the harassment case and my colleagues are the witnesses. If people come for file inspection and obstruct us at work, we will file a harassment case.''
Fighting two cases simultaneously and in between attending KIC hearings and handling the enemies in his backyard, Prasanna still doesn't want to give up. Veteran RTI activist M V K Anilkumar of KRIA Katte says, "Prasanna is being harassed for no fault of his. This is another way of punishing RTI activists. The powerful lobby of builders, officials, local politicians and police, is making it difficult for genuine RTI activists to work. They are being falsely implicated in police cases. "
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