A Right To Information activist was shot dead in front of the Public Works Department’s office in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha town on Thursday, the police told the Hindustan Times.
The deceased man has been identified as Ranjeet Soni, in his late 30s. He works as a contractor of the Public Works Department. The police are yet to arrest the killer and the motive for the attack is not known.
Soni was shot in his head from behind, at close range, around 4 pm on Thursday while going to the Public Works Department office Vidisha Additional Superintendent of Police Sameer Yadav, told The New Indian Express. He died on the spot.
Soni used to file Right To Information applications to get information about the work being done by the department, Yadav told the Hindustan Times. The police found Soni’s bag on his motorcycle, which contained documents related to his applications.
“Screen grabs of the CCTVs installed in the Public Works Department office and nearby spots are being scanned to track and nab the accused,” the police officer added. Soni’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination, ANI reported.
The Right to Information Act came into existence in 2005, as a move to bring transparency to public offices in India. Government offices are mandated to respond to applications seeking information about their activities within 30 days.
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