Cop’s FIR against babus puts govt in a quandary
Nearly 48 hours after filing an FIR against 14 government officers including, IAS, IRS, IPS and KAS officers, Assistant Commissioner of Police Prakash Gowda is in the eye of a storm.
A host of cases –– abetment, fabricated documents, submitting false evidences to the court, misguiding the court, defamation and threatening - have been filed against top babus including Tapas Kumar, Principal Secretary, Election Commission and Sudhakar Rao, retired chief secretary and 12 others.
The complainant has been constantly under pressure from his seniors and batchmates.
But, he has decided to fight it out against the babus who, he says, made his life “miserable.”
If one goes by the complaint and the 528-page supporting document, Gowda has done his homework and is all set to take them on. Though Gowda was reluctant to reveal exactly what happened on April 22, 2009, another officer who was with him during the raid spoke to Deccan Herald and gave the details –– suspension, KAT cases, revocation of suspension, fabrication of documents and reports that forced the ACP to file an FIR.
On April 22, 2009, during the elections in Channapatna, then deputy commissioner Munish Moudgil, on specific information sent a message to Prakash Gowda, who was on duty, to search the residence of Dinesh - a close aide of Yogeshwar (a candidate contesting the polls) - as Rs 30 lakh, meant for distribution among voters, was stocked there.
Officer’s reluctance
Gowda, instead of acting swiftly, came up with excuses that there was shortage of men and machinery. It was seen as a reluctance on the officer’s part to conduct the raid.
Immediately, with another team, the search was conducted and Gowda was kept under suspension. Interestingly, the team could seize only Rs 13 lakh in cash.
Gowda alleges that the entire proceedings, including breaking into the house, were illegal and that the DC had jacked up the money allegedly stocked, saying: “They suspected the cash to be around Rs 1.5 crore.”
By doing so, he let the Income Tax department enter the scene. Now, with Gowda opening the Pandora’s box, it is a Catch-22 situation for the government. Subsequently, Gowda knocked at the doors of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT). For nearly seven months, the officials slept over Gowda’s suspension file. Once the KAT gave a deadline to submit the report, his suspension was revoked.
An IG-ranked officer had conducted a departmental enquiry and submitted a report. The officer who was supposed to implement the report sat on it.
Gowda again approached KAT and got a favourable order. Meanwhile, the chief minister took note of the developments and ordered Gowda to join duty (according to rules, the chief minister has powers to withdraw a suspension any time).
The source said that after going through all this, Gowda decided to fight the system.
“At the receiving end”
The complainant told Deccan Herald: “Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. I have been at the receiving end. It’s time to fight for my rights.”
When asked about the delay in filing the FIR, Gowda said: “The departmental inquiry took its own time. Also, I had to collect all relevant papers.”
