The Pune police will set up a committee to look into complaints and requests for security received from Right To Information (RTI) activists and social workers, in view of the spurt in attacks on them.
In accordance with a recent state government resolution and a high court order, the Pune police will set up a committee to look into complaints and requests for security received from Right To Information (RTI) activists and social workers, in view of the spurt in attacks on them.
Within the jurisdiction of the Pune commissionerate, the deputy commissioner of police (crime) will head the committee along with the police inspector (crime). In rural areas, the deputy superintendent of police and local crime branch inspector will probe into the matter.
The deputy commissioner of police (special branch), Makrand Ranade, told DNA, “The committee will take serious note of the complaints received from activists and immediately act on them. We will form the committee shortly, as per the Bombay high court order.”
The other members of panel would be inducted after consultation with the senior police authorities. “In the past, we have received many complaints from activists about their protection. They had also sent us applications for security. We scrutinised their applications and sent our report to the director general’s office,” Ranade added.
According to activists, this year alone at least five attacks took place on RTI and social activists in Maharashtra. More than 25 attacks were reported last year, including at least 10 murderous assaults on them, across India.
Some days ago, a city-based RTI activist had applied for police protection, Ranade said, adding, “We scrutinised his application and gave police protection to him.” He refused to reveal the identity of the activist.
The panels have been set up at state, commissionerate and district levels, in keeping with the high court order. A state government resolution (GR) passed recently laid down that these committees will share information and prepare comprehensive data of complaints and crimes related to the activists. The data would be provided to the home department as and when required.
At the state-level, a three-member committee, headed by additional director general (law & order), Satyapal Singh, is in place. A special inspector general from the law and order and state CID wings each would be the other members.
These police bodies would ensure expeditious probe into the attacks on the activists, some of which have proved fatal in the past, and initiate quick action against the culprits.
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