Hyderabad, August'04: In a government set up like ours, allegations and counter allegations of corruption charges on each other government servants is a usual phenomenon. Even when defamation cases are filed in such matters, they are usually not contested seriously and ultimately end up in a compromise.

But an undeterred, unperturbed upright Divisional Forest Officer Mr. V.V. Rajam(now retired) of Forest Department of Government of Andhra Pradesh waged a tireless, long drawn court battle of a defamation case against his five subordinate staff( including general secretary of A.P Forest Range Officer’s Association) of the same department and finally succeeded in getting them convicted of the offence defamation under section 500 of IPC and got them sentenced to simple imprisonment for one month and also a fine amount of Rs 500/- each.

These convicted senior government servants include Mr. T. Bhashya Karulu, presently working as FRO Amarabad of Champet Division; Mr. I Vijaya Kumar presently working as Asst. Curator Nehru Zoological Park, Hyd; P. Harinath Rao, presently working as Sub-Divisional Forest Officer, Khanapur in Adilabad district; Mr. G. Shankaraiah, presently retired; Mr. K. Balreddy, General Secretary of A.P Forest Range Officer’s Association working presently as Asst. Conservator of Forest in Forest Department Head Office.

The verdict which may have come as a surprise to the guilty, but had caught on the attention of many government servants as it is claimed to be a unique case of its kind and one of the rarest in its nature as five senior officers of a same department upon challenged for defamation charges by their colleague have been convicted for an offence and sentenced for the same. Mr. V.V. Rajam who waged 9 long years of court battle claims it to be a landmark judgement in the history of defamation cases in Andhra Pradesh. "The case has ignited curiosity among many of my colleagues in my department as well as other departments in the Government. Finally i have got justice. My patience had paid. The judgment would serve as an eye opener to those government servants who threatened to malign the image and reputation of their colleagues or superiors under the guise of frivolous and untenable allegations", said Mr. V.V. Rajam, addressing a press conference.

Four of these convicted personnel used to work under Mr. Rajam during the years 1993-1995, while he was serving as Deputy Conservator of Forest, Social Forestry at Nalgonda. As part of discharge of his legitimate duties, Mr. Rajam took action and issued memos as a superior officer. They in turn decided to teach their boss Mr. Rajam a lesson by filing fictitious and anonymous petitions. They alleged corruption charges against Mr. Rajam to the tune of couple of lakh rupees in procurement of Polythene bags. Which later found to be baseless in a department enquiry. In June/July 1994 they filed yet another anonymous petition alleging corruption charges to the tune of rupees three lakh against in procurement of Coconut Plants. The detailed departmental enquiry conducted by the department found the allegations false.

They resolved to yet another complaint in December 1994 clubbing all the old allegations. This time the complaint was filed by Mr. K. Bal Reddy, General Secretary of A.P Forest Range Officer’s Association. Unlike in the past, the petition was typed on a association letterhead. This again proved to be baseless in an enquiry conducted in January 1995. Not satisfied with enquiry similar complaint was lodged addressed to the Principal Secretary. But no further enquiry was conducted to look into the allegations.

These accused officer with an intension to persicute and harm the reputation of Sri. Rajam and also to bring down his image in the public extreme made representations to the ACB. The allegations mentioned were got thoroughly enquired into and none of them was proved. One of the accused Sri. K. Bal Reddy the General Secretary had developed an illwill against Mr. Rajam as the later had enquired into certain serious irregularities committed by Mr. K. Bal Reddy while working as social forestry range officer at Medak. Some of these allegations were found to be true and the same reported to the department by Mr. Rajam as an investigating officer.

In order to wreak his vengence Mr. K. Bal Reddy engineered the petitions by misusing his position as General Secretary of the association. The other four accused have connived and actively cooperated in engineering the false allegation petitions and thus they became part of the crime.

When their repeated allegations proved baseless in repeated departmental enquiries, and peeved by the futile efforts, they decided to go all out to settle their scores by making a false and defamatory publications(read stories) in a largest circulated Telugu daily, recklessly and maliciously to harm his reputation. Adding an angle of public interest to the story, they successfully managed a story in the newspaper in February 1995. ‘Eenadu’ has published a story titled "Adavini mesina adhikarlu" on its front page on 21st February, 1995. This time the allegation was sale of government (forest) land at Chautuppal for Rs 3 crore. The subject matter pertaining to the year 1983, enquired and closed by the department was opened again in 1995. Subsequent to the report in the said news paper, the govenment made through enquiry and closed the subject for good.

The newspaper report has damaged the reputation of Mr. V.V. Rajam. He decided to fight it out. Lodged a private criminal petition under section 500 of IPC for defamation on 6th March 1995. After so many years of contests, arguments and counter arguments, the Honourable court of the Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class at Bhongir pronounced the judgement sentencing them to a jail for month. However, the newspaper personnel involved in the story were found not guilty and acquitted.

In a show of upmanship on one another, there are instances of superior officers harassing lower rung staff, seeking personal favours from them. But, in this case superior officer was threatened , harassed and embarrassed for not toeing their line and being upright. But in the end, it is proved that they may not succeed in wrong doings. Ultimately justice prevailed.

The Forest Department is fully aware of these developments and they have to take immediate necessary action against all the five convicted officers under the existing rules. The Govt. of A.P. in Environment Forest Science and Technology Department are bound to ensure the expeditious action is taken in all the matters so that the perpectrators of defamation against their subordinates, superiors or colleagues are thoroughly discouraged in perpetrating such heinous act.

-MK
Reachout's News Bureau
August' 2004