Agartala, June 26: A fraudster masquerading as an RTI activist duped a number of senior officials, including some BDOs, to extort a large amount of money before absconding.

Badal Chowdhury, 35, an unemployed man, had crafted a novel plan to siphon money off government officials by filing RTI applications.

Seeking information on the amount of devolved central funds for MGNREGA and other centrally sponsored schemes and utilisation of the funds in all 58 blocks of the state, Chowdhury filed an application to the state public information officer (SPIO) in the department of rural development on May 28.

The SPIO of the department concerned informed him that supplying information in consolidated form in the state capital would not be possible and Chowdhury would have to visit all the blocks to gather the required information.

According to the RTI Act 2005, Chowdhury was required to file an appeal to the state RTI commission to collect his desired information but instead of moving the state commission of RTI, he met chief secretary Y.P. Singh with a petition seeking help in securing the information.

Singh put a formal note on record on his application directing the BDOs, DMs and other officials to help him get the information.

Armed with the chief secretary's note on his application, Chowdhury started touring different blocks in government vehicles and also enjoyed free stay in government accommodations. Sources in the South district said Chowdhury had indeed visited different blocks of the district in early June and negotiated deals with the BDOs and enriched his coffers.

Chowdhury toured most of the blocks in Gomati, South and West Tripura districts and extorted money from the BDOs telling them that he wo-uld not press for information and keep the matter secret.

But his luck ran out in Nalchhar and Mohanbhog blocks of Sipahila districts. BDOs of Mohanbhog and Nalchhar blocks, Arindam Das and Benoy Das, respectively smelt a rat when Chowdhury had met them and started talking about information, dropping subtle hints that they could buy peace by paying him specific amounts from the block fund.

Both the BDOs then asked him to meet them yesterday and put the police on alert. They had their chambers equipped with CCTV cameras. Soon after meeting the Nalchhar BDO at his chamber, cunning Chowdhury sensed something was amiss and left the office on a pretext.

"Somehow from my demeanour he smelt trouble and fled. A case has been registered and the Melaghar police have alerted other police stations across the state; sooner or later he will be arrested," said Benoy Das.

The Mohanbhog block BDO also said he had his suspicions about Chowdhury when he met him for the first time. "I thought something was wrong and had kept the police ready asking him to meet me again yesterday but he did not appear," he said.

Instances of misuse of the RTI act cropped up earlier also in the state, but on a smaller scale.

A retired director of agriculture, B.S. Chowdhury, said he had encountered another fake applicant who wanted a bribe. "Major amendments are required in the act," said Chowdhury.

The chief secretary, who had given the note on fake the applicant's letter, was not available for comment.