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RTI activist attacked

AHMEDABAD: An advocate-turned-RTI-activist was attacked by two unknown assailants at Porbandar in Gujarat over the weekend.

Police said Baghu Dewani, 65, was attacked when he was leaving for his office in his car. The assailants threatened the driver to flee and then they beat up Mr. Dewani and stabbed him in the abdomen. He was rushed to hospital where doctors later said his condition was stable.

Mr. Dewani had recently filed applications under the RTI about two illegal constructions in Porbandar being patronised by close relatives of a former BJP minister, Babu Bokhiria. He told the police that he suspected the hand of Mr. Bokhiria behind the attack, but the police had registered the complaint only against two “unknown assailants”. Mr. Dewani was also reportedly attacked for taking on a few bootleggers more than a decade ago.

Mr. Bokhiria's name had also figured in the attack on another RTI activist in the region, Amit Jethwa, who was shot dead in front of the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad a few months ago allegedly for RTI investigations and subsequently filling petitions in the High Court against illegal mining activities in and around the Gir forest sanctuary. Besides Mr Jethwa, an RTI activist in Surat, Vishram Dodiya, was also killed last year for seeking information on illegal power connections. Some Dalit villagers in Dhank village in Rajkot district had to seek police protection after being threatened allegedly for seeking information on implementation of various government housing schemes in the region and alleged nexus between the revenue officials and the sarpanch.

Harinesh Pandya, who launched “Gujarat Pahel”, an umbrella voluntary organization of RTI activists in the State, commenting on the attack on Mr. Dewani admitted that RTI activists were exposed to threats whenever they try to expose some illegal and corrupt practices. As a way out, he said, he was suggesting all RTI activists to file “block petitions” under the RTI Act to reduce the risk of targeted attacks.

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