Dear Sarbajit Royji, Attendence by proxy in CIC is not new.In my hearing against IL&FS which was represented by Sr.Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and more than seven assistants,one of his assistant signed all signatures while Abhishek manu Singhvi was in the lift after compeltion of hearing.
I have received this attendence sheet by RTI from CIC.Please suggest whether such signatures by proxy is valid. With regards Manoj K.Kamra --- In [email protected], "sroy1947" <sroy1...@...> wrote: > > http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?655499 > > "Former RAW Official Charges CIC Staff of Forgery > New Delhi | Mar 06, 2009 > > The CIC office has come under controversy as serious allegations of forgery, > committed by its staff, have been levelled by a former RAW official Maj Gen > V.K. Singh, who is facing charges of violating the Officials Secrets Act. > > In a complaint to Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, Singh > alleged that his handwriting was forged on the attendance sheet, showing him > present, during an in-camera CIC hearing in which he was not allowed to > appear. > > "I was surprised to find that my name has been shown among those who attended > the hearing..." he said in his complaint. > > He came to know about the alleged forgery when he filed an RTI in the office > of CIC to know why he was debarred from attending the hearing. The reply sent > by Deputy Secretary in CIC's office Pankaj K P Shreyaskar enclosed the > attendance sheet, which had his name. The sheet has to be filled up before > the hearing by each individual present in their own hand. > > Singh, who authored "India's External Intelligence: Secrets of RAW", alleged > in his complaint that someone had forged his handwriting on the attendance > sheet. He asked Habibullah to compare the attendance entry with the previous > ones which he had made himself. > > "Singh is not disputing the fact that he was present. Whether he signed the > attendance sheet or someone else did doesn't matter. There was no enquiry as > such but we have sent him our reply in the matter," secretary in CIC's office > Haleem Khan said. > > The issue relates to an RTI application filed by Singh with the Central > Vigilance Commission, transferred to Cabinet Secretariat (SR), regarding > harassment of a whistle blower for pointing out corruption cases in RAW. > > He was asked to attend a hearing on the case on November 24, 2008. However, > on reaching there, he was allegedly told by the staff that since Cabinet > Secretariat officials would be showing some confidential documents to > Habibullah, he was not needed during the hearing. > > The staff allegedly told him that no one except the officials were present > during the hearing but the attendance sheet provided in the RTI reply shows > that a lawyer Sudhir Kalia was also present as respondent, he claimed in his > complaint. > > "The attendance of an advocate in a hearing where classified documents are > produced is highly irregular and a violation of Officials Secrets Act," Singh > alleged. > > The decision of Habibullah in the matter was also a shocker for the former > RAW official as it mentioned that "Maj. Gen. Singh contended that there are > allegations of corruption against the functioning of RAW itself in his > application to the CVC." > > Singh said when he was not allowed during the hearing how could he have put > up some point. " >
