Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 12: An RTI activist has filed a complaint of defamation against a Bejai resident for allegedly making false and damaging comments against him in a post on Facebook.

The complaint was filed by RTI activist Ajoy D'Silva in Urwa police station against a certain Patrick Ronald Braggs, Bejai.

Speaking to daijiworld, RTI activist Ajoy D'Silva said that the comment accused him of looting MCC funds as a contractor, getting caught and getting blacklisted, which is absolutely baseless.

"I have never associated with MCC in any contract. Such comments were posted by the same person several times in the recent past in MCC Civic Group in WhatsAap too, compelling me to approach the respective law enforcement agencies and the courts of law in order to deter such repetitive falsehoods by Patrick Ronald Braggs. This is defaming not just me, but the nationwide RTI activists' fraternity," he added.

When contacted, a police source said, "We received a complaint from Ajoy D'Silva against Patrick Ronald Braggs on May 5. We accepted the complaint and instructed him to approach the court with all proofs. Defamation cases come the direct purview of the court and whoever is found guilty of defaming another will be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or both."

Speaking to daijiworld, Patrick Bragss denied the charges and said, "I did not post anything derogatory and had only shared a news link in Facebook. In my second post I urged everyone to be alert and not believe so-called RTI activists. I showed it to the police and they let me go saying it was nothing serious."