Kendrapara: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Director General of Police (DGP) over the murder of RTI activist and human rights defender Ranjan Kumar Das, 35, on roadside near Sinikata area of Berhuan village under Marshaghai police limits in Kendrapara district in the night of January 31.
Acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC passed the order and sought the reply within two weeks. Tripathy brought it to the notice of the rights body that the Dalit youth had taken to RTI activism about eight years ago. He filed a series of applications seeking information about different government schemes in the district. Das was regularly receiving death threats for seeking information, including on numerous brick kilns that had sprung up in the area. Last month, his parents received death threats asking them to keep Das’s activism under check.
Das had lodged a case before Odisha Lokayukta alleging encroachment of 1,100 acres of government land by a resident of Mahakalpada for shrimp farming. He had also filed RTI applications seeking details of the expenditures on roads built by the rural development department, quality of dry food for babies in Anganwadi Centres as well as irregularities in government schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana, the family members of the slain activist said.
The delay in arresting the culprits raises serious human rights questions as it involves the role of police, intelligence and law and order situation in the state, Tripathy contended.
Failure of the state police to save the RTI activists, journalists and human rights defenders from such attacks puts serious questions of violation of human rights. Failure of the state in implementing the provisions of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2013 amounts to serious human rights violation, Tripathy alleged.
He requested the NHRC to order a fair investigation by an independent team of experts to ensure safety and security of RTI activists, journalists and human rights defenders in the state. He urged the rights body to order the state government to take immediate legal action against the wrong doers and pay Rs 50 lakh compensation and safety to the family members of the slain RTI activist.
Tripathy also sought implementation of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2013 by the state government and the Lokayukta in letter and spirit.