Soon after personal information about him started appearing in the media, Mr S. Bhaskaran, the RTI activist who allegedly ‘exposed’ law minister Suresh Kumar and forced him to resign, has threatened to make public more incriminating documents about the minister in a couple of days.
"I have an audio recording of my conversation with Mr Purushottam, who worked with Suresh Kumar. Mr Purushottam told me about Mr Suresh Kumar’s wife telling him that she wanted to invest Rs 50 lakh in shares. If I provide the details of the tape, will you publish it?" he asked in an agitated state when he was quizzed about his life. "Why is the information about me being made public now? They are so cheap. Why did they not do it a week or 10 days ago?" he asked, while speaking to Deccan Chronicle.
Mr Bhaskaran compared his campaign against Mr Kumar to the one launched by Gandhian Anna Hazare against corruption. He asserted that he was an honest loan recovery agent and not a goonda.
Does his campaign against Mr Suresh Kumar have anything to do with his futile attempt to open a restaurant at Legislators Home (LH)? Source said then Legislative Council chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy advised him not to do this as he may run into losses with a hotel already operating in the premises. Mr Bhaskaran however denied the charge. He disclosed that he was getting ready to move the high court on why Suresh Kumar did not file a fresh affidavit when an alternate site was given to him and why he did not give the same information on his assets and liabilities to the BDA and the Lokayukta?
CHARGES AND REPLY
Charge 1: Bhaskaran tried to commit suicide after he could not repay borrowed money. There are records in Jnanabharati police station, say sources.
Bhaskaran: Let them produce evidence against me. This is absolutely false.
Charge 2: He borrowed money from Ramesh Babu, who works with Suresh Kumar but refused to pay back. After much persuasion, Bhaskaran gave a cheque which bounced. Babu threatened to sue him but Suresh Kumar intervened. Since then, Mr Bhaskaran has tried to get even with Mr Babu, said sources.
Bhaskaran: Let them prove it. There is one blank cheque which was not presented to the bank.
Charge 3: Sources said he used to apply for information under RTI about under construction buildings in Rajaji Nagar and then tried to blackmail builders particularly those from north India.
Bhaskaran: This is false. I have information against all, irrespective of caste and creed. I have fought for these builders.