If you dare to seek information under the Right to Information Act in Bihar, you should also be prepared to be booked in a fabricated criminal case and you may also be sent to jail. The criminal charges may vary from murder to attempt to murder, kidnapping or extortion. You can even be charged with rape or attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman. It also implies to the elderly persons, retired soldiers and physically handicapped.
At least 49 such cases were brought to light here today during a people’s court (Jan Sunwai) named ‘Meri Awaz Suno’ organised by Humlog, a social organisation and Bihar Right to Information Manch. A physically handicapped person, Birendra Kumar Sah, native of Pirmaker village under Bihar’s Saran district, narrated his woes to the audience about how he and his brother were framed in false case of murder by the local police at the behest of his village pradhan (Mukhia) for seeking information under the RTI Act about appointment of school teachers.
Another such victim, Ram Balak Sharma, a native of Manikpur village under Lakhisarai district, narrated his tale of being framed in an attempt to rape case for seeking information about the absence of doctors and para-medical staff in his district’s government hospital.
Both Sharma and his co-applicant Ramchandra Mandal were arrested and sent to jail by the police. They were released on bail after 26 days of imprisonment. A score of similar victims from different parts of the state narrated their respective story of harassment at the hands of government officials for seeking information under the RTI Act.
The convenor of Humlog Trust, Praveen Amanullah, said several such cases were being reported to her organisation from across the state and she had brought the matter to the notice of state Information Commission but it went in vain. Subsequently, she moved the State Human Rights Commission with the plea that it was violation of an individual’s rights to be victimised and penalised for seeking information under the law of the land.
Taking cognisance of her case wise complaint, the commission has asked the Chief Secretary to take stern action against the guilty officials for harassing and terrorising the information seekers within four weeks from the date of receipt of commission’s directive.
Supreme Court advocate and a civil rights activist, Prashant Bhushan, who was also present on the occasion, said it was becoming a nationwide trend to delay and dilute the RTI Act by the government officials.
At least 49 such cases were brought to light here today during a people’s court (Jan Sunwai) named ‘Meri Awaz Suno’ organised by Humlog, a social organisation and Bihar Right to Information Manch. A physically handicapped person, Birendra Kumar Sah, native of Pirmaker village under Bihar’s Saran district, narrated his woes to the audience about how he and his brother were framed in false case of murder by the local police at the behest of his village pradhan (Mukhia) for seeking information under the RTI Act about appointment of school teachers.
Another such victim, Ram Balak Sharma, a native of Manikpur village under Lakhisarai district, narrated his tale of being framed in an attempt to rape case for seeking information about the absence of doctors and para-medical staff in his district’s government hospital.
Both Sharma and his co-applicant Ramchandra Mandal were arrested and sent to jail by the police. They were released on bail after 26 days of imprisonment. A score of similar victims from different parts of the state narrated their respective story of harassment at the hands of government officials for seeking information under the RTI Act.
The convenor of Humlog Trust, Praveen Amanullah, said several such cases were being reported to her organisation from across the state and she had brought the matter to the notice of state Information Commission but it went in vain. Subsequently, she moved the State Human Rights Commission with the plea that it was violation of an individual’s rights to be victimised and penalised for seeking information under the law of the land.
Taking cognisance of her case wise complaint, the commission has asked the Chief Secretary to take stern action against the guilty officials for harassing and terrorising the information seekers within four weeks from the date of receipt of commission’s directive.
Supreme Court advocate and a civil rights activist, Prashant Bhushan, who was also present on the occasion, said it was becoming a nationwide trend to delay and dilute the RTI Act by the government officials.
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