Investigators seek help from RTI activists to trace missing papers

In search of missing Adarsh Housing Society papers,investigating agencies have turned to activists who used Right to Information Act to obtain information about the controversial housing project. An FIR was filed with the Crime Branch after pages containing crucial file notings from 2000 to 2003 were reported missing from the state Urban Development (UD) Department.

“Crime branch officials met us for a couple of hours last week to know if we could provide them with information on the missing papers from the UD,” said Major S K Lamba from the Mumbai Citizens’ group,which had got documents on Adarsh from the revenue department,collector,BMC,MMRDA and defence estates. “The only agency that dodged giving any information was the UD department,” said Lamba.

CBI officials said that they have been talking to RTI activists about the missing papers. “When I submitted RTI applications to the UD department,I was told that the files have been transferred to MHADA and subsequently to the MMRDA,” said RTI activist Yogacharya Anandji who procured stacks of documents on Adarsh.

Meanwhile,more than three weeks after filing a preliminary inquiry against unknown officials of the Army,defence estates department and state goverment officials,the CBI is yet to register an FIR in the Adarsh case. Officials said a decision would be taken after a meeting at the CBI headquarters next week.