Reliance officials install cable wires of JioFiber illegally in Railway Colony during Covid -19 Lockdown; damage Structure, Pillars and Beams, bribe Railway officials

RELIANCE Industries, which has a reputation of getting its way with the government officials and indulging in illegal activities, has once again acted in a shocking and brazen manner. The officials from Reliance Industries’ Jio division installed cables for their service JioFiber at Railway Colony in Colaba. The team installed Cables, wires, internet and phone wires. The shocking and interesting part is that this was all done during the Covid-19 induced lockdown. The officials, while laying down these cables, caused damage to the structure, its pillars and beams, putting the lives of residents of the colony at tremendous risk.

Hitesh Verma, on December 10, 2020 has sent a written complaint to several authorities, including Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, against the illegal activities of the JioFiber team, at Railway Colony, Badhwar Park, Colaba. A copy of the said complaint is available with ABI.

Badhwar Park is a posh railway colony located at Colaba in South Mumbai and is sensitive for security reasons as top railway officers including Western Railway DRM lives there. There are 500 flats in 15 buildings in the colony. During the period of full lockdown, JioFiber employees entered Badhwar Park railway colony and installed Cable wires, Internet wires and Telephone wires. They worked for months and caused significant damage to Structure, several Pillars and Beams.

What is shocking is the fact that the whole exercise was done without permission from railway authorities. Not one resident from the colony interrupted JioFiber’s team for their illegal activities. According to sources, the contractor of JioFiber, Hemant Kawade bribed three officials from the Railway Colony – Ghanshyam Verma, Dr Shubhranshu Kumar and Dr Ashok Pandey-to manage the remaining railway officers. Kawade has also installed cable wires free for life time in these three corrupt officers’ homes. “Ek baar cable wire bichh gaya to permission mil hi jayega. Verma, Kumar and Pandey told Kawade,” said a colony resident.

“If authorities fail to take action against JioFiber, I will approach the court against JioFiber, Ghanshyam Verma, Shubhranshu Kumar, Ashok Pandey and security personnels of colony as they allowed illegal activities in colony during lockdown,” said Hitesh Verma.