BSNL & Jto Himmat Singh — Unprovoked Assault

Address:

Jaipur, Rajasthan

Unprovoked Attack & No Response to complaintnt
Centre for Economics-Finance & Legal Studies
P.O. Box 17517-
London-SE9 2ZP,
E-mail: [protected]@yahoo.co.uk, http://newsviews-raceclass.blogspot.com, cemkumar.googlepages.com
_____________________________________________________________________

10 February 2011


Mr Gopal Das
Chief Managing Director (CMD)
PGMTD, Opp.G.P.O. Bldg/Ashok Marg
M.I.Road, Jaipur - 302010

Ref: Unprovoked Assault by Mr Himmat Singh JTO

Dear Mr Das:

On 28 January 2010 I formally complained to Mr GK Pareek but I have not even received any acknowledgement. I am a non-Resident Indian in the process of relocating in Jaipur for the last couple of years. Since 1983 I lived overseas and use internet from my academic, consultancy and legal work. Having seen BSNL add fro 3G Data card I attended BSNL along with duly complete application, proof of ID and a hand written letter some time in early December November 2010. After waiting for an hour or so at the window of reception an employee of the BSN told me that the 3G Data card was unavailable that I should comeback after a week. Since I was travelling between Delhi and Jaipur I had asked my Architect Mr Dhawan to follow up with my application. Mr Dhawan kindly agreed to follow up a few times, but to my disappointment he did not receive cooperation of the BSNL staff. Finally he was told that by a BSNL employee that I should attend the BSNL office in person if I wanted a Data Card. At no point of time the concern employee of the BSN ever asserted that 3 G Data Card was defective or could not be activated.

On my way to sort out some personal business related to construction on 28th December 2010 about 3:00pm I went to BSNL office located in Bajaj Nagar along with Mr Dhawan and Mr Neki Ram Chaudhary to get 3 G Data Card. We have to wait about 30 minutes at the window of the BSN reception office before the concern clerk could even look at us although he was doing nothing except gossiping with his fellow colleagues. Mr Dhawan drew the clerk’s attention that I was waiting for some time and tat he should attend to me. I handed him my application for a 3G Data Card along with all the supporting documents. He flipped around my application and asked one of his colleagues Mr Himmat Singh who was sitting behind the clerk on other window, whether he could give me Data Card saying that there was some activation problem with it. Mr Himmat Singh told the clerk, “Don’t give it”. In view of an ongoing TV advert for efficiency of the 3G Data Card I found Mr Singh’s response very unsatisfactory as they should have know better about the situation so that I did not have to make an early trip to Jaipur to sort out Data Card. I requested the concern clerk to give me in writing that due to an activation problem he could not give me a 3G Data Card so that I could pursue the matter with BSNL Customer Service and concern Minister for Communication. On this Mr Singh got agitated and told me in very loud and abusive tone of his voice to come to the side of his window so that he could he could sort me out (“TU ITHER AA MAI TERE KO KARN BTLAUN”). I found his language abusive and devoid of all norms of customers’ service. I asked him tone down his voice and learn how to address the customers. I asked him to call his supervisor that I could take up my complaint with him. He abusively refused to give me anything in writing and call his supervisor. He told me, “Mai he supervisor hun aur tere ko writing me kuch nahi denge". Tere jaise bahut dekhen hein”. I insisted that he should call his supervisor so that I could have word with him and I waited. I saw him leaving his seat believing that he went to get his supervisor, but to my shock of my life he cane from nowhere I pushed me with great force by swearing at me and I fell over the window which caused me sprain for w few days. Mr Neki Ram Chaudhary, Mr Dhawan and several other customers protested on his Mr Himmat Singh’s behaviour and they had to physically stop him from assaulting me further. In fact, had these people not prevented Mr Singh he would caused me grievous injury. Since Mr Singh was engaged in a tirade of abuse I asked for Police help and called a few friends since Police Telephone No. 100 was busy. I also called and DGP’s numbers but his line was busy too. Having heard of Police Mr Himmat Singh called Mr Sunil Singhal DGM. I spoke to Mr Sighal and complained about the abusive conduct of Mr Singh. Mr. Singhal said he can’t do anything about the conduct but he would deal with my application for Data Card. He assured me that he would come back to me within a few days and kept my papers with him. I asked him for his mobile but he said he would rather keep my mobile number which I gave him. In the mean time, Mr Himmat Singh called his union officer and in particular I recall Mr Rati Ram who tried to shut the reception door and physically restrained me and my witnesses (a clerk in the High Court) leaving the foyer area for hours. B this time one of my friends, Ram Singh Manohar, an Advocate came to see if I was OK but Mr Rati Ram prevented him to enter the foyer area. He had to force himself in to get access to foyer which is a public area.

In the mean time we all moved outside and Mr. Singhal asked us to come to his office but we did not know that now Mr Himmat Singh himself called the police as an old saying goes, “offence is the best defence”. I believe initially a junior police officer came whom I explained the abusive conduct and assault on me, then to a Sub Inspector and also to SHO himself who came at Mr Singhal’s office. Mr Himmat Singh intended to make a falsely FIR against me and I started writing my own FIR against Mr Himmat Singh who was aided by Mr Rati Ram. However, after some intervention SHO picked up my unfinished FIR and Mr Himmat Singh’s short note to resolve the matter but Mr Himmat Singh did not apologies for his actions. I should say SHO on Duty made it clear to Mr Singhal that mine was not the first complaint against his staff and even a few High Court Judges also told him about problems at the BNL Office.

Frankly speaking in the last 40 years I never experienced such an abusive behaviour from any govt or private company employee. In fact I was expecting much higher service standards from a govt department engaged in service sector. Mr Singhal did not call to inform me as to the status of my application for 3G Data Card. I called BSNL number to find out Mr Singhal’s number but BSNL employee told me very rudely that there was no such person in BSNL. Eventually I found his number and I reminded him on 3rd January 2011. I heard him speaking to Mr Himmat Singh, but to date no avail. I am most disappointed by the conduct a public enterprise engaged in services sector. Recently I was called to give a valedictory address to Senior Business Executive of Public Enterprises in Hyderabad. I emphasised need to focus on service aspects to compete with private sector and I am glad most of them are doing very well with the exception BSNL.

Hopefully, authorities would heed to my complaint and investigate it and take appropriate action to remedy the situation.

Yours sincerely,


Dr. Suresh Deman
B.Sc, MA (India), MA&DBA (US),
M.Phil. (UK), & PhD (Japan)
Honorary Director & UNEP/UNCTAD
Senior Consultant & Visiting Professor Finance
Member Advisory Committee
Institute of Professional Legal Studies