Aide alleges attack on RTI activist, cop claims personal enmity

Ahmed Poonawala, a resident of Kambekar street, Pydhonie, has alleged that he was attacked for filing RTI applications. The attack took place on Sunday when around six-eight people beat him up in his own building. Though Poonawala and his family were not available for comment, a law student helping him spoke to dna.

"He had filed some complaints with the BMC about some illegal constructions following which the civic body had taken action. However, after some days, the illegal constructions started again. Next time when he filed a complaint, no action was taken by the BMC. That is when he resorted to RTI. In fact, one of the officers in BMC even threatened him for filing complaints," alleged Dharam Mishra, the law student who has been helping Poonawala.

A complaint has been filed with the ward officer and the information commission. "Today, some people called him from his residence on some pretext and thrashed him for filing RTI. In our complaint to the police, we have stated the same," added Mishra.

However, the police are on a different page. Nisar Tamnoli, deputy commissioner of police of the region, said: "It was not an attack on the RTI activist and the incident has nothing to do with his filing RTI. He slapped a neighbour's kid and his father slapped him. It was more like a personal dispute. Poonawala was sent to a hospital for check-up. There is no FIR and, at the most, an NC will be filed in this case."