Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria has found himself in the dock, with Maharashtra’s Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Ratnakar Gaikwad directing the State Government to institute a judicial inquiry against him for “withholding and providing misleading information” to slain IPS officer Ashok Kamte’s widow Vinita Kamte on the call logs of police wireless communication relating to the 26/11 attack.
Holding that it was irresponsible on the part of Maria to have denied information to Vinita Kamte and that his act gave rise suspicion that he had a mala fide intent for doing so, Gaikwad invoked the section 19(8)(a) in The Right To Information Act, 2005 to direct the Maharashtra Government — through the State Chief Secretary — to institute an inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 into the whole thing. “The inquiry may be conducted either under a sitting judge or a retired judge,” the State CIC ruled in his July 9 order.
“Prima facie it appears that misleading information has been given, that there was mala fide intent behind denying certain information, that information has been destroyed and that obstacles were created in providing information to the complainant. We agree with the suspicions expressed by the complainant in the matter,” the State CIC observed, while prefacing the need for ordering a judicial inquiry against Maria.
Taking serious cognisance of the suspicious manner in which Maria tried to withhold information to complainant Vinita Kamte, Gaikwad felt that he agreed with her contention that truth would not come out unless an impartial inquiry was conducted was conducted into the allegation of late Ashok Kamte’s widow.
Reacting to the State CIC’s order, Vinita told The Pioneer over telephone from Pune on Wednesday evening: “My stand has been vindicated. I am more than optimistic that truth will come in the judicial probe ordered by the State CIC”.
Vinita — wife of the then Additional Commissioner of Police in-charge of East Region Ashok Kamte who succumbed to the bullets of one of the Pakistani terrorists at Rang Bhavan lane near Cama Hospital on the night of November 26, 2008 — had stirred the hornet’s nest on the eve of the first anniversary of 26/11 attacks (on November 25, 2009), by accusing Maria of indirectly contributing to the death of her husband.