The
Times of India: Thane: Sunday, October 21, 2012.
The Thane
municipal administration on Saturday suspended Ajit Karnik, executive engineer
with the town planning department, for alleged negligence in duty and for his
role in an alleged extortion racket involving a local, who is said to be
misusing the RTI act for personal gain.
In his
written statement to municipal commissioner R A Rajeev, Karnik owned up to part
of the responsibility in a suspected con game allegedly masterminded by Mukesh
Kanakia. Civic officials said Kanakia, who they said was a "habitual and
professional complainant", had targeted a doctor at Naupada and filed a
complaint about the renovation work being undertaken in his residential
apartment.
The doctor
was allegedly in the process of tearing down his flat and converting it into a
nursing home. He is said to have filed a written application to the Naupada
ward office seeking sanction for the change of residential property into
commercial nursing home.
"Ideally,
such applications have to be moved before the town planning department, which
is the final authority on the issue. However, the doctor was unaware of the
administrative procedure and instead filed an application at the ward office.
Kanakia got to know of the renovation work and promptly filed a complaint
against the doctor with the town planning department," a senior official
said.
Karnik was
expected to deal with the complaint as he is in charge of the department.
"When the doctor approached the town planning executive, he explained that
he was not doing anything illegal. He said he had moved an application before
the ward office. Karnik heard him out but later told him the issue could be
resolved only if he paid Rs 2.75 lakh to Kanakia to withdraw his
complaint," a civic official said.
Karnik has
been suspended for alleged negligence of duty. Action has also been initiated
against Kanakia for misusing the RTI Act and exploiting citizens. "We have
issued a showcause notice to him over this issue," an official said.
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