DNA:
Mumbai: Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
Taking
a serious note of the murder of RTI activist Satish Shetty in 2010, the
Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has directed the state government to
give a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to his family within four weeks.
The
commission also ordered departmental inquiry against the concerned
superintendent of police, sub-divisional police officer and others for not
taking action on Shetty's application seeking police protection.
Shetty,
who had exposed several land-related scams through Right To Information Act,
was brutally murdered at Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district on January 13, 2010.
In
November 2009, Shetty had submitted an application to the superintendent of
police, Pune rural, claiming there was a threat to his life after he unearthed
a scam, and demanding protection.
"This
is yet another incident of apathy/negligence and possible partisan attitude on
the part of the concerned police which has resulted in the loss of another RTI
activist," MSHRC Chairperson S R Bannumath and member M M Sayyed said.
"...the
death of Satish Shetty was because of serious lapses and negligence on part of
the police officers," the commission said in an order passed on March 27.
"It
is just and proper to award interim compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the legal
heirs of the victim within four weeks," the commission said, adjourning
further hearing to the next month.
Human
Rights Association for Protection, an NGO, had approached the commission
seeking a direction to the police to strictly follow a Government Resolution
(GR) which says that if an RTI activist demands police protection, it should be
given immediately.
The
commission directed the state Home Department to instruct all police officials
to follow the GR strictly.
"In
spite of a government resolution issued in 2000, no action was taken on
Shetty's representation and on January 13, 2010 Shetty was brutally
murdered," the commission noted.
"It
is apparent that various police officials including those of the rank of SDPO
and SP slept over the application of Shetty," it remarked.