| Whistle-blowers’ turn extortionists | | ‘File complaints against Govt employees, businessmen to extract money’ | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 15: Some so-called ‘whistle-blowers’ in the name of fighting against corruption, are reportedly extorting huge money from the public servants and businessmen.
According to credible sources in the Civil Secretariat a group of a few people, including some retired government officials and anti-corruption activists are allegedly extracting money from the public servants and businessmen in Jammu for a long time.
“Thry have been active since long back, but after 5th August 2019 they are filing complaints against almost all bureaucrats, doctors, engineers and the businessmen,” said an officer associated with Grievance Redressal Cell of J&K Government.
“As per the reports from field staff, earlier, extortion by these people was confined to RTI only. But with the passage of time they explored other options as well, like filing complaints with JK Grievance Cell, off-course anybody can file a complaint through this portal, but some people are frequently filing bogus complaints just to create fear among the government employees”, the officer said.
He further said that this group of people have a mentor in secretariat, who provides them information and their next target. “These people run campaigns against individuals. First of all they try to bargain with him/her. But if they don’t get any response they forward a letter to Raj Bhavan, Lt. Guv., Chief Secretary, ACB, Crime Branch and many other agencies to build pressure to their target”, he claimed.
The watchdog agencies of government should also look at the property raised by these people which is disproportionate to their known sources of income. “Both retired government employees who retired from gazetted posts, were known as tainted officials in the department during their services as well as after retirement, have huge property including palatial houses, plots, commercial complexes in Jammu city along a motorcade of luxurious cars owned by these whistle blowers. While their activist friend and partner in conspiracies behind extortion, despite having no regular source of income is living a lavish and luxurious life”, source claimed.
The officer said a government employee prior to his retirement waged war of extortion against his senior officers, by planting half baked complaints . “These government employees before their retirement with help of ring master and other members of unholy group of extortionists, launched a campaign against their own colleagues and even tried to defame his secretary, the administrative head of department ”, the officer said. |
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