Right to Information not only helped a woman to get justice but also exposed that how the officials at District Development Office in Basti were hand-in-glove with an accused who forged documents to get a government job.
Surprisingly, when his forgery has been exposed that the accused get the relevant documents removed from the official records, no legal action has been taken against him. However, now on the intervention of State Information Commissioner, Rajkeshwar Singh, the man finally lost his job. The aggrieved complainant had now moved to get a job for which she is legally entitled.
Reports said that one Suraj Devi, filed an application under RTI with District Development Officer in Basti seeking service book records of her mother Shivrani Singh, who was posted at Block Development Officer (BDO) but had died in 1988. Suraj made the above move after her step brother Devendra Kumar Singh, forged the papers showing him as son of Shivrani Singh, and got a job on compensatory ground. When Devendra learnt of the move of Suraj, he got the service book of Shivrani removed with the help of other officials so that his criminal conspiracy to get the job could not be exposed. It may be mentioned that Shivrani Singh was married to a bank employee Shivraj, who claimed himself to be a bachelor when he already had children living with his first wife in Kannauj. Devendra was also from his first wife.
Reports further said that when Suraj failed to get any reply from DDO office, she filed an appeal in the court of SIC Rajkeshwar Singh, who took the matter seriously and asked the district magistrate of Basti to conduct a probe and file the outcome in his court for further action in the matter. The DM during probe found that Suraj should get job against death of her mother but she failed to do so as her father Shivraj, had made forgery with the help of his son Devendra (from first wife) and showing only him (Devendra) as their son, he managed a job for him on compensatory ground. DM also mentioned in his report that service book of Shivrani, in which the name of Suraj was mentioned as daughter has been also removed so that the forgery could not come in open.
Sources said that after getting the report, Rajkeshwar Singh directed to take stern action in the matter and also to do justice with Suraj. Now after passing of over three months on his order, the local administration in Basti, which is so far helping the accused to continue with the job, finally terminated his service last week. Now Suraj claimed to have put her paper for the job but so far the authorities said to be seeking legal opinion before forwarding justice to her.