Court convicts Medical Officer for using RTI application by personation

Srinagar, Aug 27: A court here Tuesday convicted a Medical Officer from Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) for ‘cheating by personation’ by filing an RTI application in the name of another person and using it as a ‘genuine’ document.

The Court of 2nd Additional Munsiff, Ahtzaz Ahmad convicted Dr Zahoor Ahmad Tantray of Kupwara for offences punishable under Sections 419 (Cheating by Personation) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document) of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), a repealed law now.

The court convicted Tantray after hearing Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) John Muhammad for the prosecution and the counsel representing the accused.

“The prosecution has proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt to the extent that the accused had cheated the officials of the Department of ISM by pretending to be Muzafar Ahmad Ganaie by filing an RTI application in his name and thereby using a forged document as genuine,” the court said while convicting Tantray.

The court posted for arguments on the quantum of sentence the case on August 28 following which punishment will be awarded to the convict.

On October 30, 2013, the case was filed based on a communication received from the then Director ISM which indicated that the accused, putting up in a rented accommodation in Bemina here, was transferred from Unani Dispensary Gulab Bagh to Unani Dispensary Khanaid, Udhampur, due to his “misconduct”.

Moreover, it was reported that the Medical Officer was harassing the officials of the department by filing the RTI applications using different names so that he could escape from the departmental enquiry and pressurise the officers of the department.

As per the communication, the department grew suspicious on receipt of a chain of RTI applications on “stereotype readymade proforma” filed by impersonating different persons.

The communication underscored that the medical officer had filed one of the applications in the name of Muzaffar Anwar Ganie, who happened to be the son of the owner of the house where the doctor was residing.

The department sent a copy of the RTI application to Muzaffar who on its receipt contacted the department and refused to have sought any such information.

The communication further divulged that another RTI application in the name of Muhammad Ashraf Ganaie was received against the officers who were conducting an inquiry against Dr Tantray.

It also alleged that Dr Tantray wanted to escape the departmental enquiry by harassing officers and employees of the department.