1 detained for murder of RTI activist's father

Times of India: Rajkot: Wednesday, 06 January 2016.

The Morbi police has detained one person in connection with the murder of 55-year-old Karsan Ala, cousin of blind RTI activist Ratna Ala, of Rangpar village in Wankaner taluka of the district.

Karsan was shot dead on the night of January 2 allegedly by five persons including village sarpanch Bharat Makwana, for opposing illegal mining on the village's gauchar land.

"We have detained one accused identified as Nirmal in connection with the murder and are questioning him," Jaypal Singh Rathore, superintendent of police at Morbi, told TOI

Primary probe suggests that Bharat Makwana had got a tender to supply materials for the newly-constructed factory in Rangpar village and they had started digging up gauchar land to which Karsan and his family members had objected, Rathod added.

Wankaner taluka police have already booked five persons, including Makwana for murder of Karsan. Kala, son of the deceased, also had raised his voice against illegal mining and sought details under the Right to Information Act (RTI) about it.

Kala had named Makwana, Nirmal Makwana, Hitesh Dangar, Nirmal Bhagvan and Mahendrasinh alias Lalubha as the accused in his father's murder.

RTI activist Ratna Ala had earlier exposed the illegal mining in 2014 following which the geology and mining department issued notices of Rs 12 lakh to units found involved in illegal mining in Rangpar village. Ratna has also filed RTI seeking details of recovery of royalty theft by such units, but government is yet to respond.

"I do not know about the earlier notices issued in this regard as I am in charge of Morbi district. I am not aware of the notices issued over illegal mining two years ago," said M R Vala, in charge geologist at the geology and mining department in Morbi.