Ashok Bagi, Irrigation Department engineer on BBMP deputation, alleges his reputation has been tarnished by ex-corporator Ramesh’s media remarks
Ramesh rejoinder: Income-tax department should probe officer
BENGALURU:
In a move which has sent ripples in political and bureaucratic circles, the state Irrigation Department’s Assistant Executive Engineer Ashok Bagi, who is currently on deputation with BBMP as in-charge Executive Engineer of the Traffic Engineering Cell, has threatened to file a defamation suit of Rs 10 crore against former corporator and the BJP’s South Bengaluru president NR Ramesh.
Though Bagi is yet to get the official clearance from his bosses to file the defamation suit against Ramesh, he averred that he would file an FIR and a suit in court after following all the required procedures as per the C&R rules.
ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಿ: ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ನಾಯಕ ಎನ್ ಆರ್ ರಮೇಶ್ ವಿರುದ್ಧ 10 ಕೋಟಿ ಮಾನನಷ್ಟ ಮೊಕದ್ದಮೆ ಹೂಡುವ ಬೆದರಿಕೆ
Determined to sue
“I am waiting for a reply to a notice served to Ramesh. He is yet to reply. Whether he replies or not, I will be filing an FIR and defamation suit against him for obstructing me from discharging my duties and defaming me on TV channels and in other media by making false allegations,” Bagi told TheBengaluruLive.
In a 4-page lawyer’s notice signed by his advocate Mohammed Jaffar Shah and served to Ramesh, a copy of which was shared with TheBengaluruLive, Bagi claimed that his neighbours also see him ‘differently’ as they have watched the TV interviews and “have believed your (Ramesh’s) false narratives and due to the said act, my reputation and respect in society has been badly damaged and your acts of spreading false narratives have defamed me.”
Seeks public apology
He said, “Even my children have been questioning me repeatedly about the false narratives by Ramesh, and they are being questioned by their school friends who have viewed and read the false narratives made by him in newspapers and other media. His illegal act attracts the provision of Sections 500 and 501 of the IPC.” Bagi added, “I had served seven days notice to him on September 7, asking him to offer a public apology by withdrawing all the false averments made against me. Otherwise, I will be inclined to initiate a suit for damages of Rs 10 crore and also initiate criminal proceedings under Section 500 of the IPC.”
Bagi said that he has been serving in BBMP for the last one year and one month, and false allegations are being made that he has been serving for the last three years. “I have never met Ramesh nor have I spoken with him on any issues, but he is threatening and making false allegations against me, which is creating obstructions to discharge my duties,” he said.
What are Ramesh’s allegations?
In his previous complaint filed before the ACB, Ramesh said: “Ashok Bagi, Assistant Engineer (AE) of the Irrigation Department, is assigned to the Traffic Engineering Cell division under Rule 32 as the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE). Further, he is illegally assigned to the post of Executive Engineer of the same Traffic Engineering Cell.
Responding to a query by TheBengaluruLive on Bagi’s threat, Ramesh said, “To file a Rs 10 crore defamation suit against me, he has to deposit Rs 40 lakh in the court. He does not have to give a record of how the money came to him but it is a case for the I-T department to investigate.”
