Reply from High Commission of India refusing the existence of my passport renewal application
Further to my recent RTI application, in which I requested High Commission of India, London to provide me the law under which they are still refusing to renew my passport, I got the most shocking reply in my life.
High Commission of India now refuses to acknowledge the existence of any passport renewal application at all.
I can’t believe it. I thought I’m dreaming.
Postie dropped failed delivery receipt through pigeon hole as I couldn’t wake up to collect the signed for post sent by HCI London on last Saturday. I couldn’t manage to visit local post office. I finally decided to collect the letter from local post office today.
Bearing freezing cold weather I had to walk for and hour at 7:30 PM to collect it. I was wondering why they didn’t send the reply by e-mail.
When I opened the letter and read it I almost fainted. I read it at least 10 times to make sure I was not dreaming.
The reply was sent from Mrs. Padmaja, First Secretary (Press & Info) which explains why RTI reply was not sent by e-mail. At least Mr. Vijay K Mehta used to send RTI reply via e-mail saving money and time. I quickly checked High Commission of India, London Employee list and found that Mr. Mehta has been promoted to second secretary.
Coming back to the reply. For both of my queries they have replied with followings
No application from the applicant is pending at HCI, London
So WTF I’ve been doing since March 2010 if not chasing corrupt and incompetent Indian government offices to push my files from one office to another?
How on the Earth they dare to simply refuse the existence of Passport Renewal application?
Have they gone mad, or it is some kind of joke?
Mrs Padmaja must have obtained this information from Passport Wing of HCI London. Has passport wing disappeared overnight? Or there was fire inside Bharat Bhawan and all records were wiped out?
It is something out of world which I can’t simply comprehend.
I expected a negative reply but nothing like this. I expected they might provide some reference to law which “empowers” them to refuse the renewal of Indian passport.
Or may be High Commission of India is pissed off from my post Fake Indian Passport Available in London Streets for £500?
Or may be Passport wing is at war with me.
Or may be there have been transfers in passport wing due to which Mrs. Padmaja was unable to find any trace of application.
I’m just furious at their audacity for such white lie.