Licence of stamp vendor suspended for overcharging

CHENNAI: The licence of a stamp vendor who was found collecting Rs 5 as commission for every Rs 20 stamp paper for years has been suspended. The violation was brought to light by P Senthil Kumar, a Chennai-based RTI activist in a TOI report on July 11.
Senthil, with help from a friend, had carried out a sting operation, collecting evidence to support his finding that the vendor — S P Vinoth Kumar of Porur — has been collecting excess money from people buying stamp papers.
While the inquiry was pending, Senthil said the vendor contacted him, requesting him to withdraw the complaint for some money that he promised to pay the activist.
Senthil refused and presented the evidence before the inquiry team on August 26.
The stamp vendor too was invited to present his claim. Finally, the registration department suspended the vendor's licence, citing sections 76-A and 25 (iii) of Tamil Nadu Stamp Rules.
Senthil suspected foul play on the part of the authorities, too, as they reacted only after repeated reminders.
The district registrar, Chennai (south) sent summon letters to Senthil for the investigation, but the letter reached two days after the inquiry day. In another instance, it reached the previous evening after office hours.
It took almost a year for authorities to take action reporting a violation with necessary proof, Senthil said.