RTI activist booked for harassment

Our Correspondent

Jagraon, May 6

The Jagraon police have booked a renowned RTI activist for allegedly harassing a Sidhwan-Bet based shopkeeper. The police have registered a case against RTI activist Kuldip Kumar Kaura under Section 211 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sidhwan Bet police station. However, the accused is yet to be arrested.

In his statement to the police complainant Janak Raj stated that he runs a sweets shop at Sidhwan Bet. According to Janak Raj, RTI activist Kuldip Kumar Kaura of Ludhiana has some personal rivalry with him due to which he lodged a false complaint against him with Civil Surgeon Office, Ludhiana, alleging that Janak Raj has been selling adulterated sweets at his shop.

“Following this, a team of health department officials visited my shop in October 2014 and took samples of some sweets. But all the samples taken by the health department team were passed by laboratory,” said Janak Raj.

Janak Raj further alleged that RTI activist Kuldip Kaura also lodged false complaints against him with Punjab Pollution Control Board and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited leveling baseless allegations against him but all the allegations leveled against him proved baseless after investigations.

According to complainant Janak Raj, he has to face a lot of harassment and financial loss due to false allegations leveled against him by Kuldip Kaura. “The false complaints by Kuldip Kaura against me caused a lot of financial loss to me. Earlier, a large number of people used to buy sweets from my shop but a lot of the people gave up buying sweets from my shop after the baseless allegations leveled against me by Kaura brought defame to my shop”, claimed Janak Raj.

Terming Kuldip Kaura a fraud, Janak Raj alleged that Kaura had blackmail several people by misusing the Right to Information Act.

Janak Raj approached SSP Jagraon Ravcharan Singh Brar and lodged a complaint. SSP marked an inquiry to DSP Dakha Balwinder Singh Randhawa. After inquiry DSP Dakha Balwinder Singh Randhawa submitted his report to SSP Jagraon and recommended action against Kaura after taking advice of DA legal. Following the instructions of the SSP a case was registered against Kuldip Kaura under Section 211 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).