Thaindian News

Ahmedabad, Aug 23 (IANS) A 39-year-old Right to Information (RTI) activist is fighting for his life in Rajkot city of Gujarat following an acid attack on him, police said Tuesday.

Jaysukh Bambhaniya, a tribal from the union territory Diu’s Dangarwadi area, had filed an RTI application in nearby Una municipality of Gujarat some time ago.

“Last night, he was on his way home, when a group of people attacked him with weapons and threw acid on him. Jaysukh was lucky since a police van happened to pass that way around the time he was being attacked and the miscreants fled. His condition is critical and he has been shifted to a hospital in Rajkot,” sub-inspector B.H. Jadeja of Una police station said.

The police have no clue about the information he had sought through his RTI plea.

“In statement to the police, he has alleged that Shamji Solanki, vice president of Una municipality, was responsible for the attack,” Jadeja added.

Rights activists in the state have condemned the attack.

“We condemn the attacks on RTI activists. The death of Bhopal’s RTI activist Shehla Masood was very painful for us. RTI activists should not fight alone. They should seek help from other activists. Whatever information he/she receives, they should share it with others also,” said Bharatshin Jhala, an RTI activist.

An RTI activist was killed outside the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad last year after he sought to expose the mining mafia. Bhagu Devani, a Porbandar RTI activist, was also attacked recently.