Indian Express: Pune: Saturday,
March 25, 2017.
Seven years
after Right to Information (RTI) activist Satish Shetty was brutally murdered
in Talegaon Dabhade, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has ruled
that departmental action be taken against three police officers who were posted
with Pune rural police at the time of the incident, for failing to provide
police protection to Shetty despite the activist filing multiple applications
seeking the same.
Shetty was
the district co-ordinator of Bhrashtachar Virodhi Dakshata Samiti, an
organisation fighting against corruption, and had exposed an alleged land scam
through information he had received from responses to RTI applications.
Subsequently, an offence was registered at the Lonavala city police station
against 13 persons on October 15, 2009. Shetty started receiving threat calls
from November 22. In the next two days, Shetty filed two applications with the
superintendent of police, Pune rural, seeking police protection for himself and
his family members.
Despite the
applications, he never received any police protection. In the early hours of
January 13, 2010, Shetty was stabbed to death. Two days after the murder,
Akurdi-based social activist M D Chaudhary moved the Maharashtra Human Rights
Commission, demanding action against the officers of Pune rural police.
Over the last
seven years, the commissioner has held over 10 hearings in the case and
recorded the deposition of officers from Maharashtra Police, as well as the
CBI, which is now investigating the case.
Speaking to
The Indian Express, Chaudhary said, “In its ruling on Thursday, the commission
said departmental action be taken against three officers then additional
superintendents of police Ramnath Pokale and Dilip Shinde, and then deputy
superintendent Shrikrishna Kokate. The order to take action has been given to
the state home ministry. The commission has also ordered a compensation Rs 15
lakh for Shetty’s family members, to be paid by the state government.”
“During these
hearings, the commission has recorded depositions of representatives from the
inspector general of Kolhapur range and officers of CBI teams from Delhi,
Mumbai and Pune. From our side, we have demonstrated to the commission how
there was a delay of around 50 days and how the file kept gathering dust on the
tables of these three officers,” he added.
When
contacted, Satish Shetty’s brother Sandeep, who has been fighting a legal
battle to seek justice for his brother, said, “We really appreciate Chaudhary’s
efforts; he has pursued the case before the Human Rights Commission. We do not
expect any compensation from the state government but we want the state to
ensure that justice is done in the case.”
.JPG)
.JPG)
