- I Paid A Bribe
- 9 years ago
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Corruption by Police to protect Corrupt
- Police
- False Allegations
- Paid INR 35,000
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Complaint to Home Secretary -- Dr Deshmukh.pdf
To Principal Secretary, Home Department, Maharashtra Sate Mantralaya, Madame Cama Road Mumbai 400032
Copy to a) Chief Secretary, Maharashtra b) DGP, Maharashtra c) DG,ACB,Maharashtra d) State Human Right Commission e) National Human Rights Commission
17 April, 2015 Complaint of Corruption, Arbitrary use of power & Violation of
Human Rights for Vested Interests
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Dr Mahesh A Deshmukh. I am a Physician and Rheumatologist, and I run a private clinic in Nanded. I have complained against corruption in Municipal and Health departments in recent years.
My wife, Dr Shubhangi Deshmukh, is a medical officer at women’s hospital, Nanded
My wife and I are the victims of Corruption, Arbitrary use of power & Violation of Human Rights
We were called to the office of Superintendent of Police Office, Nanded, by Mr. Harshal Chavan ASI, Superintendent Police Office, Nanded. I was induced to make some statements in writing, and also to pay cash of Rs 35,000/- through an intermediary Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal, who an IPS Officer and a con-man. I learned from media reports that that Mr. Khandelwal was nabbed by the police soon afterwards for engaging in such activities.
Details of the incident:
1) On the afternoon of 14 January 2015, I received a call from Mr. Harshal Chavan asking us to come to the SP's office the next day. As his voice was breaking, I called him back 4-5 times, but his mobile was busy. After connecting finally, I asked him what was it all about, and he told me he had received a complaint of
cyber crime against me which he could not disclose at this point of time. I became anxious and frightened and told my wife regarding the complaint, and she too became frightened. 2) Day One of Interrogation – 15 January 2015. We went to Mr. Harshal Chavan's office at 11.15 am on 15 January. My wife and I were separately interrogated. I was interrogated for two and half hours, and my wife for one hour. Both of us were interrogated by the officer and Mr. Harshal Chavan neither told us what actually the complaint was, nor did he give us a copy of the complaint. 3) During my interrogation, Mr. Chavan indicated that he was unhappy about an online complaint that I had earlier made on the Anti Corruption Bureau's portal against some officials while I was staying in a hotel room in Nagpur. His tone was harsh. 4) While we were being interrogated, there were two other staffers working on computer in the same room, and at times people were coming and going out of that room. So, I felt that whatever Mr. Chavan was doing was a normal procedure. 5) Mr. Chavan asked me whether I was in Nagpur on 7 August 2014; I said yes. He asked my room number. I told him I didn’t remember. Then he told me it was room no 716 room of Radisson Blu hotel of Nagpur, and that he had each and every detail and CCTV footage of my activities during my stay at this hotel. 6) My wife was sitting next to me, and he repeated many times that he had CCTV footage of all my activities during my stay at Radisson Blu Nagpur, implying that my activities were illegitimate. I made it clear that I was alone all the time, and I had not engaged in any activity for which I should feel ashamed or afraid. 7) Mr. Chavan made an allegation that during my stay, I acted as an imposter for someone else (i.e. I pretended to be someone else) on the internet and lodged a complaint on the portal of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), and that the complaint was false, and therefore, ACB people had asked him to find out who had done it. He alleged that due to this particular complaint, there was harassment of some people and there was misuse of government machinery due to that “false complaint”. 8) Mr. Chavan told me that he had all the digital records which proved that I used the hotel WIFI for lodging that particular complaint and he also had router details. He told me that he got all the details from Delhi. He showed me his laptop screen which had a diagram, which, according to him was digital evidence of router and wifi usage for that particular complaint. He told me that the digital evidence was a technical thing and he had all the necessary proof against me. 9) I told him that I had used the WIFI throughout my stay at the hotel, but there was no question of using others' name for some particular complaint. 10) He brought a small book and showed it to both of us, saying that according to law, he had to book me for cyber crime, and if I admitted guilt, then he would talk to senior officers and will see how he could help out, but he did not guarantee anything.
11) I told him that there was no question of my imposing someone (i.e. pretending to be someone else). Then he asked me, have you made this complaint, this complaint, and this complaint. He did this without showing me any of complaints. During our interrogation he repeatedly told us that at this point of time he cannot give us a copy of complaint against us and he told us that by complaining about corruption we are unnecessarily harassing some people. 12) Then he told me that if I gave in writing that I mistakenly complained, or inadvertently posted a draft of the complaint, then that also would be sufficient for him to help me out. He asked me where I had stored the original draft of the complaint. 13) During my wife’s interrogation my wife was crying most of the time as he told us that we have committed a cybercrime by imposing someone. He also said that as that particular complaint made from the hotel room contained official secrets, I may be booked under Official Secrets Act also, and therefore my wife's job may be in jeopardy. 14) My wife told him that we had complained regarding corruption and harassment at her workplace. If this complaining is going to cost me job, then let it happen. But don’t implicate us in things which we have not done. 15) He took my mobile phone and asked me since how many days I am using this android device, I told him I am using it since one year. Then he checked my mobile and kept the mobile hotspot on for few minutes. 16) He asked me about my knowledge of electronic communication etc. I told him I know basic things like writing email etc. He asked me whether I had any other electronic device for electronic communication like laptop etc other than my mobile Android phone in Radisson Blu. I told him no. He asked me why I opted for this hotel, and pointed out that this was a star hotel. I told him the Echo Nagpur 2014 conference venue was the same hotel, so I preferred to stay there. 17) All the while he was telling us that we should take complaint back as he was under pressure from ACB to lodge a case against me and my wife unless we retracted our complaint made with ACB. He said instead of going for for the legal options in court, which may cost us thousands; it would be better for both of us if we retracted in writing our complaint regarding the corruption done by officials and the corruption in Health Department. He also asked me to call my lawyer and consult him on phone, which I did. 18) At the end of this interrogation on 15 January, Mr. Harshal Chavan asked me whether we knew anyone in police department. I told him that I knew one person who said he was from the police force. Mr. Harshal Chavan asked me to call him and discuss this matter in front of him. I called my contact, Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal on mobile and told him what was going on. Then Mr. Harshal Chavan also talked with Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal on phone and told him that if we give him in writing what he asked, then there should be no problem.
Day One of Interrogation was over, and we went home.
19) My wife Dr Shubhangi was out of station, and I was staying at home with my two children and mother in law. On 16 January, the contact, Mr. Praveen Kumar
Khandewal called me and came to my home and told me that he had discussed the matter with higher officials and that if we did not pay the amount to the police then we would be in trouble as all the higher officers against whom we had complained would make sure that my family would be severely dealt with. But if I paid the police then they would manage everything and then we need not worry. Fearing persecution, I paid the middleman Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal the said amount 35000/-without knowing what the truth was. Mr. Khandewal's tone was also not normal; in fact, he was hot and bothered. 20) On 19 January, Mr. Harshal Chavan called me on my mobile and asked me to come to his office the next day. 21) Day Two of Interrogation: On 20 January, I went to Mr. Chavan's office around 11.30 am and again I was interrogated in the same way. It was a repetition of the first day. Then he went for a meeting for half an hour, and after returning, he asked me to give a statement in writing as instructed by him. At that time again, Mr. Harshal Chavan used my mobile to talk to middleman Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal, and immediately afterwards the middleman told me to give in writing the statement that Mr. Chavan was insisting on. Mr Khandewal told me that this was just a formality, and that he would personally destroy the statement after meeting senior officers. 22) The statement given in writing by me, as per Mr. Harshal Chavan's directions (Exhibit 1), indicated that Mr. Chavan was acting on behalf of an ACB officer who was investigating a complaint lodged by my wife. He took it in writing that we know Dr Karuna patil and Dr Khairatkar and we both have complained to ACB online. 23) Complaining online regarding corruption to Anti Corruption Bureau is not a crime and the identity of complainant is supposed to be kept secret by ACB as per the law. But Mr. Harshal Chavan, who is not a part of ACB, knew in detail about the complaints lodged by us to ACB. On a false pretext that we have imposed someone, he was trying to frame me. He wanted my wife and I to retract from complaints made to ACB. By this time, Mr. Harshal Chavan got money and the statement. But relatively his tone and behavior was milder than the first interrogation. Mr. Chavan asked me to come again after 3 days for enquiry. Day Two of Interrogation was over.
24) This time, I did not follow Mr. Chavan's instructions. I did not go on 23 January. Instead I filed an RTI application for a copy of the complaint against me. 25) Day Three: I went to the Superintendent's Office on 29 January to collect the RTI reply. I had received call on my mobile from the clerk asking me to collect reply. The concerned clerk dealing with RTI application i.e. the Public Information Officer took me to Mr. Harshal Chavan's office, where I was handed over a certified copy of statement given by me and one more paper stating the copy of complaint against me could not be given due to some reason. (See Exhibit 1 and 2). 26) Mr. Chavan asked me why I did not come again after 3 days as instructed by him on 20 January. I told him I was out of station. At that point of time Mr. Harshal
Chavan again asked me to connect him to the middleman, Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal, who collected money on behalf of the police. Almost immediately after Mr. Chavan finished talking on my mobile phone, I got a call on my mobile claiming to be from the office of IGP, Aurangabad. I was asked by the caller to come to Aurangabad the next day (30 January) for an enquiry. I called on the same number at many times afterwards to find out more about enquiry but the mobile phone was out of coverage. End of Day Three.
27) I became suspicious, and so, I did not go to IGP's office Aurangabad, or to any other police office. Later on, I came to know from a retired senior police officer that this is a trick of extortion done by few corrupt police officers by using their so called informers. 28) I filed a complaint to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi, regarding this arbitrary use of power by Mr. Harshal Chavan. However, fearing persecution from the police department, I did not mention the fact that I had paid Rs 35,000/-. 29) On 4 February, I received a copy of statement from police in my clinic sent from office of SP that they have not understood what I wanted in first appeal but if I asking for the complaint against me then it is not possible to give the same due to some reason and if I need the same I should approach Divisional chief information commissioner in Aurangabad. However, there was no hearing on my first appeal. The reply on my first appeal was sent directly to my clinic.
30) Mr. Khandelwal's arrest and details of my interactions with him. In the first week of February, Mr. Praveen Kumar Khandewal, who claimed to be an IPS officer on deputation to Nanded from Delhi, but actually used to work as a police informer and mingled with government officials and public, was caught by Nanded police as he was a conman. I came in contact with him one year back when Mr. Ramkumar Sambhavani, elder brother of my schoolmate Mr. Kripal Singh, brought him to my clinic with Mr. Khandewals two children for getting a fitness certificate for admission to school in Nanded. Afterwards Mr. Khandewal use to frequent my clinic with Ram Sambhavani for getting himself and his children treated. Each time he use to come to my clinic there used to be one more person, on enquiring I came to know that he as his gunner/guard 31) Mr. Khandelwal and I had a telephonic conversation after I paid him Rs 35,000/- in cash, till two days prior to his arrest. The time I paid in cash Mr. Khandelwal my two children aged 17 years and 15 years and my mother in law were present. At times, his conversation was reassuring and at times, it was complex and difficult to understand. Sometimes, I could not understand what he was trying to say. During my 11-12 months of contact with him he used to contact me now and then. Each time I was out of station, he knew my whereabouts, and he used to call me. Sometimes, even I used to call him on phone. It has now become well known in Nanded that this conman was operating his business of extortion with the help of few corrupt police officials from last two to three years.
32) After this conman was caught by police, Mr. Harshal Chavan again called me on my mobile on 5th, 6th or 7th February (not sure about the exact date) at around 5.30 pm. His tone was polite and he was enquiring about Mr. Khandewal. Then he told me that he was the one who was going to decide regarding the complaint against my family, and there was no role of IGP office Aurangabad. 33) On 9 February, Mr. Shingade, Dy. SP, ACB, Nanded came to my house at around 5.30 pm to take my wife's statement concerning her original complaint, which she had lodged with DG, ACB, Mumbai. 34) It is said that Mr. Ramkumar Sambhavani who introduced me to Mr. Khandewal is the main complainant leading to Mr. Khandewals arrest.
After that, there have been no communications with any of these police officers, and there are no further developments till date.
I request you to investigate this matter.
I also request you to take necessary steps to ensure that my family and I are not harmed or persecuted, either directly or indirectly, by the police.
Yours Sincerely,