Thaindian News

Bhopal, Aug 16 (IANS) Shehla Masood, an anti-corruption crusader and Right to Information activist, was Tuesday shot dead outside her residence here, police said.

Masood was in her car in the Koh-e-Fiza area when she was shot in the neck, Inspector General of Police Sailendra Srivastava told IANS.

Masood headed the Madhya Pradesh chapter of India Against Corruption group. In April, she led protests when Gandhian Anna Hazare had fasted in New Delhi for a strong anti-graaft law.

“She was shot dead when she was in the driving seat. The car was parked at her residence,” Srivastava said.

Masood had Monday pledged to expose widespread corruption and said she had several vital documents to back her claims.

Masood was also a green activist and had fought for the Save Tiger project in Madhya Pradesh.

“As Shehla had raised questions regarding several tiger deaths across the state, people involved in the racket may have killed her,” fellow activist Ajay Dubey said.

He demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing. “We have no faith on the state government, so the matter should be investigated by the CBI.”

Mehsood, an active campaigner aginst corruption, had once expressed fear that she could be killed.

In a complaint filed at the Maharana Pratap Nagar police station in Bhopal, she had accused a senior police officer, Pawan Shrivastava, of making threatening phone calls.

Masood reitered her complaint to Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police S.K. Raut Jan 19, 2010.

Recently, Masood had filed a RTI application seeking information on at least 19 Indian Administrative Service officers, 13 Indian Forest Service officers and seven Indian Police Service officers, informed sources said.

Abdul Jabbar, a social activist fighting for the cause for Bhopal gas disaster survivors, told IANS: “She has been killed because of her fight against widespread corruption in the state.”