Miscreants assault RTI activist, make him drink urine

Times of India: Jaisalmer: Sunday, 12 July 2015.

A dalit RTI activist-cum-school teacher was kidnapped, assaulted and dumped near Indira Gandhi Canal by a few youths in Ranau area of Jaisalmer on Saturday evening.

The assailants also shaved his head and forced him to drink urine.

The RTI activist was brought to Jaisalmer in a serious condition from where he was referred to Jodhpur.

The police have launched a hunt for the absconding miscreants.

The victim, Babu Ram Meghwal is a resident of Ramgarh. He is an RTI activist and also works as a teacher at the Ranau Middle School near Indo-Pak border.

Meghwal said that when he was returning to Ramgarh from Ranau, around a dozen people, travelling in a Bolero vehicle, kidnapped him, cut his hair and took him to the canal belt near Asotar.

The masked men beat him up with sticks. They were about to throw him into the canal when a few people came there. On seeing people coming, the masked men ran away. The people then admitted Meghwal to a hospital in Ramgarh.

Meghwal said he keeps filing RTI applications over irregularities in canal land allotment and many other issues.

On his complaints, many fake allotments were cancelled. Due to this, many people were annoyed and threatening him. On Friday too, he was threatened with murder.

The seriously injured teacher has been referred to Jodhpur.

Many social workers and public representatives condemned the assault and demanded action against the culprits.

Jila pramukh Anjana Meghwal, PCC secretary Roopram Dhandev, former UTI chairman Ummed Singh Tanwar and others said the state government should take steps and provide security to dalits and RTI workers.

The people of Meghwal community staged a demonstration and jammed the main road by burning tyres. Annoyed community members tried to forcefully shut down the market. Looking at the seriousness of the incident, SP Rajiv Pachar, additional SP PD Dhania and Mohangarh SHO Manakram reached Ramgarh and spoke to the people of Meghwal community. Looking at the tension in the town, additional police force was deployed.