To:
Mr Satyananda Mishra
Chief Information Commissioner
Central Information Commission
New Delhi
Date: 27th May 2012
Respected Sir,
1. CIC Resolution passed in the Commission's meeting held on 13-9-2011
2. Death of Shri Ravinder Balwani in a suspicious hit and run case on 23 April 2012
I wish to draw your attention to the resolution of the Commission in its meeting held on 13.9.2011 when it resolved that:
"The Central Information Commission expresses regret and takes note of the reported killings of and assault on the RTI users across the country. The Commission underlines the need to take urgent steps by the respective Governments for the safety and protection of the RTI users. The Commission strongly believes that it is the duty and responsibility of the respective Governments to safeguard the life and liberty of the RTI users for which purpose they should invoke the relevant penal provisions for the prevention and detection of such heinous crimes.
2. This Commission, therefore, resolves that if it receives a complaint regarding assault or murder of an information seeker, it will examine the pending RTI applications of the victim and order the concerned Department(s) to publish the requested information suo motu on their website as per the provisons of law.
3. This Commission also resolves that it will take proactive steps in ascertaining the status of investigations/prosecutions of the cases involving information seekers and endeavor to have these processes expedited."
The above resolution of the Commission brought some relief and respite to RTI activists who have suffered tremendously in their struggle for transparency, accountability and reduction in corruption and during which more than 15 have lost their lives and innumerable others have been severely injured and beaten up by vested interests.
As has been reported in the media, Shri Ravinder Balwani succumbed to his injuries after being injured in a suspicious "hit and run" incident on 23 April 2012, in New Delhi.
Shri Balwani was a veteran activist who had been using the RTI Act extensively ever since 2001, when the Delhi RTI Act 2001 was introduced. His main area of activity was the privatization of power distribution in the NCR.
His family has already complained, that they suspect a motive to silence him and there have also been reports that his papers had been searched and some are even missing.
I therefore request the Hon'ble Commission, through your good self, to put the words of the above mentioned resolution into practice and take suitable action, specially as per points Nr. 2 and 3 of the above resolution viz:
1. Examine pending RTI applications of Shri Balwani and order the concerned departments to put up the information sought by him on their websites
2. Take proactive steps in ascertaining the status of investigation/prosecution in this case
Such action will show the RTI activists in particular and the country at large, that the Commission is serious about its intentions in protecting activists as well as in implementing the above mentioned resolution.
In the interests of transparency, I also urge you to regularly update the CIC website, regarding the action that the Commission takes and keep the activists informed of the progress in this case.
Sir, this is a test case for the Commission, since the death took place in the same city where the Commission is located and the same city where a majority of the Commissioners have spent their working life in the Government. The public authorities on which Shri Balwani concentrated are also located in New Delhi and he was personally known to several officers and staff in the Commission.
I, just like other activists and citizens of the country, am eagerly waiting and watching to see how the Commission acts.
Thanking You,
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