Satish Shetty - an RTI activist who had been actively using the law to bring to light numerous cases of corruption had requested police protection since he had been receiving threats. He was murdered. Commodore Lokesh Batra writes that whistleblower protection must become part of the law.

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Dear All,

In these difficult hours, we RTIns together express our solidarity with the family of Satish Shetty and convey our heartfelt condolence.

We resolve with all our might that we will not let the sacrifice of Satish Shetty, a brave citizen of India go in vain.

In October 2009, I had sent a comprehensive paper ‘4 Year of RTI’ which also contained “Major Impediments and Suggestions for effective implementation of the RTI Act”

The very first issue raised in my Paper is reproduced below:

"Protection of Whistle Blowers: While the RTI Act is meant “to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed”. The act does not have any provision to protect ‘Whistle Blowers’ for RTI users. This anomaly needs urgent attention."

 
It is high time Government comes out of its slumber to face the reality on the ground. But why will they?

It is Government functionaries who are being exposed by RTIs.

Time we raised this issue in a big way.

In Grief

Commodore Lokesh. K. Batra (Retd.)
Social & RTI Activist

14 January 2010


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-5442636,prtpage-1.cms

 
RTI activist murdered in Talegaon

Mihir Tanksale, TNN, 14 January 2010, 07:34am IST

 

PUNE: Social activist Satish Shetty (39), who had blown the whistle on a series of land scams in and around Talegaon , Lonavala and Pimpri-Chinchwad near here, was brutally murdered by some unidentified assailants near his residence at Talegaon-Dabhade on Wednesday morning.

Shetty was on his morning walk around 7 am when he was attacked with swords and sharp weapons. He was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

An anti-corruption crusader for the last 15 years, Shetty had started wielding the Right to Information Act (RTI) Act to expose the irregularities in government offices since the last five years. His brother, Sandeep (34), told the police in his complaint that Shetty may have been murdered by some persons whom he had exposed. He said his brother had exposed many land scams in and around Talegaon.

Senior police inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar of the local crime branch, Pune rural, said Shetty had used the RTI Act to expose the setting up of restaurants and marriage halls in residential zones.

The murder shocked citizens and civic activists in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad . Traders and shopkeepers in Talegaon-Dabhade pulled down their shutters to protest against the killing.

Shettys murder is a major embarrassment for the police as he had demanded police protection after having received threats to his life (see box).

Shetty had sought police protection

 

Fearing threats to his life, Satish Shetty had recently applied for police protection. In his application to the police, he had stated that he was receiving threats every day from unidentified persons. Additional superintendent of police Ramnath Pokle confirmed that Shetty had applied for police protection and said, We had decided to provide protection to him. The matter was under process.