Media Release from AAP, DK Unit
Mangaluru, Feb 17: On February 10, some Aam Aadmis of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Mangaluru Unit had joined hands with a daring initiation by Dr Deepak D'Souza. Dr Deepak video-captured an MCC worker engaging in tampering with the water meter and fixing it back intact.
On February 12, AAP had convened a press conference to demand action by the concerned authorities.
Journalists and nedia houses had done a wonderful job of publishing this news and seeking reply from authorities.
When the discussion on this sting operations happened, there was unanimity about condemning the water meter reader's act of tampering. Dr Deepak's efforts were lauded and congratulated. Still, there was a small section of critics who did not spare even Dr Deepak's choice of doing a sting operation - "Why did they do this sting operation?" was what they wanted to know.
Why did they do this sting operation?
No doubt, resorting to sting operation by Aam Aadmis is defenitely a deviation from the normal practice of informing the authorities. This kind of unusual method of reporting something will make anybody think on lines such as:
a. Why didnt they approach authorities such as Lokayutka?
Dr D'Souza has put all his efforts to follow the procedures and law of the land. Upon knowing a probable date of meter reader's visit to site (once in 3-4 months in this case), Dr Deepak approached Lokayutka police inspector, directly, even in his busy schedule. Lokayutka police were justified when they could not proceed on a private person hired by an agency working for MCC.
b. If he was an MCC worker, why didnt they approach MCC directly?
Dr D'Souza had met Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati on February 4. The sting operation was done on February 10. So there was 6 days of time with the MCC. If acted on the complaint, the MCC could have caught the water meter reader red-handed, as Dr Deepak had assured all cooperation. Unfortunately there was no action from MCC's side for such a long time.
c. If eye witnesses could have been arranged, why did they still need to capture video?
This is a very important point which has to be understood, and this was, in fact, the main purpose of doing the sting operation. When the water meter reader approached Dr D'Souza for the first time and said he knows a technique of reducing water bill without MCC coming to know about it, what should Dr D'Souza have done at that time?
Dr D'Souza is a professor of forensic medicine who deals with crimes and has interests in all criminal methods which are not known or new. When a criminal tellsabout a new method where MCC is getting duped, Dr D'Souza wanted to know it first.
If Dr D'Souza had not agreed to pay him Rs 2,500 and subsequently complained about him, the matter would have ended up, possibly, by punishing him. Remember, there was no proof with Dr D'Souza and this option was the most foolish option to select.
When Dr D'Souza agreed to pay him Rs 2500, and after the meter was tampered within a few minutes, Dr D'Souza was still at square one, with no proof. Complaining against a criminal without proof is not useful many a time. Instead, there would have been a strong case with the meter reader himself to accuse Dr Deepak of falsehood.
This is an important point to be understood. Dr D'Souza, being a forensic expert, would have sounded foolish more than anyone else, if he had complained about meter tampering. The reason is, the seals were intact.
It is like an owner complaining to the police that a robber broke open his locked house and stole a fridge, but the doors/windows/locks are still intact!
Now if it is understandable that Dr D'Souza did the right thing by not complaining about the earlier incident, what were his options now?
• He should have complained secretly to MCC - yes he did that. However, justifiably, he did not wait beyond 6 days. Dr Deepak, justifiably, did not complain on paper as there was a fear of leak of info.
• He should have met the police - yes he did that. A police officer told Dr Deepak that the crime is committed against MCC and not aginst you. MCC should be the complainant and not you. Dr Deepak had not suffered any loss and had no injuries to complain about. MCC had to act, MCC had to complain.
• He should have spoken to MCC engineer about water meters tamperability - yes he has done that indirecttly. A journalist who was kept in the loop had asked about possibilty of seals being intact even after tampering. MCC engineer was asked about it days before the sting operation. When the MCC engineer Naresh Shenoy of the MCC did not believe in the fact that water meters could be tampered and the seals kept intact, and, after considering views (police, MCC engineer, journalist, AAP members), Dr Deepak D'Souza did the sting operation with other AAP members hiding inside the house.
"This sting operation, if it was not done, was there any other way to prove that my water meter whose seals are still intact even today, was tampered with twice?" asks Dr Deepak D'Souza
"Is it not true, this sting video has proved valuable for the Mangaluru City Corporation and all the government offices throughout the country, to relook into the technical aspects of sealing water meters? Is it not a discouraging attitude towards whistleblowers and informers, when despite their successful and helpful sting operation, despite they having followed proper strategic approach, are being threatened with action?" he asks.