UP RTI activist murdered by village head

BAHRAICH: An RTI activist was brutally beaten up by the pradhan of Gaura village under the jurisdiction of Hardi police in Bahraich on Friday night. He died of injuries in the district hospital on Saturday. The accused has been arrested.
Reports said Guru Prasad, 48, was kidnapped from his house and beaten by the village pradhan and his henchmen on Friday as he dared to challenge their might by seeking information on the development in the village.
Prasad sat on a dharna at the office of the block development officer on Monday. He called off the dharna and returned to his home on the assurance of officials on Friday. Instead of taking action against Trilokinath, the officials allegedly persuaded the activist to call off his dharna, reports added.
“Prasad, who was the block convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had sought information on the development of the village from pradhan Trilokinath some time back. The latter had threatened him of dire consequences,” alleged the victim’s family.
His wife Brijrani told TOI that Prasad had sought information about several village development projects under Right to Information (RTI) Act. However, she could not provide details.
Mahsi block development officer (BDO), who is also the officiating public information officer (PIO), Mohd Nafees said: “Since January, I did not receive any application from Prasad.”
Brijrani and other family members of Prasad alleged that a few people, including Trilokinath, came to their house on Friday evening and kidnapped Prasad. They beat him to death near the police station.
Superintendent of police (SP) Neha Pandey said that accused Trilokinath had been arrested. “A case of murder has been registered against Trilokinath. Additional force has been deployed in the area.”
District convener of AAP Santosh Kumari and general secretary Hamid claimed that Prasad used to regularly seek information about civic issues under RTI. “We condemn the murder. It’s a failure of law and order machinery,” they added.