RTI activist attacked

SONBHADRA - A Right to Information activist was attacked by three people including a government official in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said Thursday.

A case was filed against the three, but police say they suspect that the activist could have named the government official due to some pesonal enmity.

Amarnath Pandey, aged around 50, was shot at in the Robertsganj area late Wednesday.

“On the compliant made by Pandey, we have registered a case against a Block Development Officer (BDO), a village head and one other,” district police chief Deepak Kumar told reporters late Thursday night in Sonbhadra, some 350 km from Lucknow.

Even as Pandey has alleged that he was attacked for exposing the alleged corrupt practices of the BDO while he was posted in Ghorawal block, police are suspicious about Pandey’s claim.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that Pandey could have named the BDO in his compliant owing to some personal rivalry with him. Investigations are being carried out in this regard,” said Deepak Kumar.

Meanwhile, Pandey, who is out of danger, has alleged the attacks have been made on him in the past also.