RTI applicant attacked in UP Budhai Kumar had sought details of
construction material used in the used in the shops constructed by the
Nagar Panchayat in SitapurGN Bureau | August 10 2010
An RTI applicant based in Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh, has alleged
that he has been attacked by the goons of the chairman of district's
Nagar Panchayat.
Kumar, 50, had filed application under the Right to Information (RTI)
Act to seek information on the construction material used in the shops
which were constructed by the Sidhauli Nagar Panchayat.
The public information officer of the office of the District
Magistrate asked Kumar to collect the information from the Panchayat
office. But the information was not given.
"When I went to collect the documents, they said that lot of people
come asking for such information. I should stay out of this," said
Kumar.
Kumar then approached the state information commission which was also
unable to provide the information.
He also lodged a complaint with the state Lokayukta (ombudsmen).
On Monday around 4pm when Kumar was away from his home, eight to ten
men carrying sticks and sickles entered his house and beat his Wife
Shanti. When Kumar rushed to the house, he was also beaten.
Both have sustained head injuries.
"The attackers included the bother and brother-in- law of Uma Shankar
Mishra, chairman of the Nagar Panchayat," said Kumar. "Before this
attack, they had verbally threatened me many times," he added.
After the attack, Kumar went to the nearest police station, but the
police refused to lodge a first information report.
Kumar says that he also called the Superintendent of Police Jyoti
Narayan who assured help. "I have no information about this case,"
Narayan told Governance Now.
As many as eight RTI activists have been killed this year including
Gujarat based activist Amit Jethwa who was murdered in July.
Recently, RTI activists from across the country conducted a rally in
the capital to condemn these killings.
Last Thursday, minister of state in the prime minister's office,
Prithviraj Chavan, told the parliament that the central information
commission has been receiving complaints from RTI activists facing
threats
--
Urvashi Sharma
RTI Helpmail( Web Based )
aishwaryaj2010@gmail.com
Mobile Rti Helpline
8081898081 ( 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. )
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