12 RTI activists killed; report calls them ’sitting ducks’
September 2nd, 2011 - 6:51 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) At least 12 Right to Information (RTI) activists have been killed in the line of duty since last year - the latest victim being Shehla Masood of Bhopal whose death has raised a huge furore - a report said Friday.
Titled ‘RTI Activists: Sitting ducks of India’, the report by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) said that from Jan 2010 to Aug 2011, at least 12 activists including Masood were killed for seeking information to “promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority” in India.
Anti-corruption campaigner Masood was shot in the neck in her car outside her home in the Koh-e-Fiza area of Bhopal Aug 16 morning. Her murder shocked Madhya Pradesh and RTI activists across India.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram hinted at a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into her murder.
“Even a policeman (or auxilliary to the police) could not escape death for seeking information under the Right to Information Act, 2005. On July 25, 2010, Babbu Singh of Uttar Pradesh Home Guard was killed allegedly for seeking information about government funds and work done by his village Pradhan at Katghar village in Uttar Pradesh,” Suhas Chakma of ACHR said.
“Many face serious physical assaults on a regular basis. Those who seek information from their village panchayat and other local administration also face social ostracisation. Attacks on RTI activists do not make news (anymore),” he added.
According to Chakma, RTI activists are among the most vulnerable human rights defenders.
The report recommends that the government should ammend the RTI Act and a separate chapter on protection of those seeking information should be inserted.
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- RTI activist's murder: AIIMS forensic experts to visit Bhopal - Jan 10, 2012
- CBI gets remand of Shehla Masood murder accused - Feb 29, 2012
- Anti-corruption crusader killed in Bhopal - Aug 16, 2011
- BJP MP, to be quizzed, praises murdered activist - Sep 01, 2011
- CBI's Delhi branch to probe Shehla Masood's murder - Nov 02, 2011
- CBI experiments with Facebook to solve cases - Nov 09, 2011
- CBI arrests another woman for murder - Mar 02, 2012
- CBI doubles reward money in Shehla Masood murder case - Jan 14, 2012
- Rs.5 lakh reward for information on RTI activist's murder - Sep 16, 2011
- CBI to probe RTI activist's murder in Bhopal - Aug 18, 2011
- 'Jealous woman architect plotted Shehla Masood murder' - Mar 04, 2012
- Threat to slain RTI activist's family: Forum-Asia - Sep 20, 2011
- Shehla murder: CBI gets remand of another accused - Mar 20, 2012
Tags: asian centre, auxilliary, bhopal, cbi probe, central bureau of investigation, chakma, fiza, government funds, home minister, human rights defenders, india home, latest victim, local administration, masood, physical assaults, right to information act, right to information act 2005, rti act, sitting ducks, village panchayat