827. Procedure for dealing with anonymous and pseudonymous petitions.
- In order to avoid needless harassment to honest officers, Government have now decided that as a general rule anonymous or pseudonymous petitions should be destroyed on receipt, and that exceptions to this rule should be very few.In a few cases it may be desirable to let the officer concerned know about the specific allegations made in a petition, in order that he may, if he wishes to do so, clarify the facts or correct some genuine mistakes, or that he may be of help in tracking a malicious persecutor hiding in anonymity. In such cases the petition, or the contents of it should be sent to the officer complained against, but without demanding any explanation from him. The decision to send such a petition or its contents to the officer complained against should be made with the approval of Government in the Department concerned.Sometimes the reading of a petition may suggest that the allegations are genuine and that anonymity has been taken because of fear and no other reason. In such cases, enquiries may be made with the approval of Government in the Department concerned if the allegations are of grave nature and are sufficiently specific. Whether the enquiry should proceed after first obtaining the officer's explanation, or whether secret enquiries should be started without his knowledge, would depend on the nature of the allegations.[G. O. (Apptt.) no. III/1-2021/58A-10251, dated the 26th August 1958.](f)Departmental punishments.
