Mr Prime Servant - Here is a sample of your Ir-Reverent Servant
THIS is the story of a young irreverent IRS officer who has no respect for the Law or the institutions or the courts. He got into the IRS in 2009 and that must have given him the feeling that he has achieved the ultimate and no force on Earth is above him.
He recently appeared in his official capacity as Deputy Commissioner of Customs before the Central Information Commissioner. The Central Information Commissioner is 62 years old, has about 40 years' experience in the field of law, was a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Law; was the Chairman of an Appellate Tribunal; was the Nodal Officer for the VI Pay Commission which gave the babus a huge salary hike; was the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Ministry of Law for over six years. And as a Central Information Commissioner now, he gets a salary higher than that of Chairman of the CBEC, under whom our overrated Deputy Commissioner is the lowest Group A Officer.
The highly learned DC of Customs appeared before the CIC in an appeal filed by a victim who could not get information from the Department.
The learned DC of Customs appeared before the CIC without any records and he told the Commission that he did not need any records as everything was on his fingertips. But this is what the Commission recorded about the wisdom of the fingertips:
Further, when Commission allowed him to proceed with the case, he started the arguments very aggressively and with a very rough and high tone which is not expected, at all, from the level of Dy. Commissioner of the department concerned. Dr. Ajitesh went on arguing the case illogically and on irrelevant issues He was again requested by the Commission either argue the case on relevant issues only or file written submissions in the matter. However, he failed to accede the Hon'ble Commissioner's request in this regard and went on arguing the case at his whims and fancies , which is totally unwanted and uncalled for from such officers of the level of Dr. Ajitesh Radhakrishnan, CPIO.
Wait, more is to come. He went to the extent of threatening the Commission with an FIR with the Police. Here is what the Commission said,
Dr. Ajitesh Radhakrishnan, CPIO also started to issue a number of threats to the Hon'ble Commissioner, such as, to make a complaint before the Chief Information Commissioner, today itself and even to lodge an FIR with the Police Station concerned, in case Hon'ble Commissioner fails to give its decision in accordance with his dictum, in the matter. However, later on, good sense prevailed upon Dr. Ajitesh Radhakrishnan, and he submitted his unconditional apology dated 31.07.2014, before the Hon'ble Commission. However, he suppressed so many things, such as, lodging of an FIR, making complaint before the Chief Information Commissioner etc. in his written apology .
If this is the way a junior IRS officer can behave with a senior officer in Authority as a Civil Court, who is more than thirty years older, who gets the highest pay in Government, you can well imagine how he would behave with ordinary importers and assessees. And if this is the arrogance at the lowest level of the ladder, what can you expect when he reaches higher levels. Don't they teach behaviour in NACEN and don't they tell the probationers that "Be you ever so high, the law is still above you."?