Dalit leader’s murder in HP: NCPRI demands thorough probe

SHIMLA:RTI activists from across the country under the banner of National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI) have written to the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged murder of Dalit RTI activist Kedar Singh Jindan.

Jindan, who had contested an election in the state assembly in 2017 from Shillai on the Bahujan Samaj Party ticket, was allegedly murdered on September 7 while he was returning home in Bhakras in Sirmaur district.

In a statement released on Friday, the organisation said that Jindan had been attacked multiple times in the past for exposing government irregularities.

The members alleged that the activist was denied police protection despite requests.

“We urge the government of Himachal Pradesh to ensure a thorough investigation into the murder. The government must ensure that all the information sought by Jindan is put in the public domain and is widely publicised. This would act as a deterrent against such attacks in the future,” the statement read.

“The state must look into the issues raised by him and take stringent action against the guilty,” it stated further.

In the wake of increasing number of attacks on RTI activists in the country, the organisation also demanded an effective implementation of the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act to protect the activists working against corruption.