Deccan
Chronicle: Kochi: Friday, 29 August 2014.
(CIC) Sibi Mathews has ordered a fine of Rs25,000
and departmental action against Ernakulam Central Police Station principal
sub-inspector V.Vimal for giving false information to a Right to Information
query in connection with a case.The order has been issued on a petition filed
by Eljose C.Chummar, a native of Ayyappankavu in Ernakulam. Eljose had sought
certain answers in his RTI query to Vimal on December 3, 2013, pertaining to
his arrest at 4.50 pm on October 12, 2013. Eljose said his father was summoned
to the police station and an original will he possessed was extracted by
threatening him at 8 pm on the same day.
Eljose raised three questions through the RTI
query to Vimal: Whether the said will was still in the custody of the police,
whether it was submitted to the court and if submitted, when it was done. Vimal
replied on January 4 that the said will was not in the custody of the police
and it was submitted to the court on October 12, 2013. In another RTI petition
on January 30, 2014, Eljose queried in which court it had been submitted and he
sought copies of the evidence.
Vimal gave a reply on February 27, 2014, saying
that it was submitted at the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. He sent
copies of the evidence on April 1, but since they were incomplete and not
clear, Eljose again sought another copy on April 14.Later, as per the order of
the CIC, Vimal submitted a report to him in this regard. He said the claims
that he had forged them were not true and the will was given to the dispatch
section on October 12, 2013, along with the report, for being submitted to the
court.
The CIC on verifying the documents found that the
will was submitted to the court only on October 17, 2013. However, this was not
clear in the document given to Eljose by Vimal. Eljose also did not ask for the
date on which it was given to the dispatch section but specifically asked when
it was given to the court. The CIC recommended action under RTI Act 20 (1) and
(2) for giving false information.