The Supreme Court on Monday refused anticipatory bail to an RTI activist and his aide accused of obstructing a public servant during road construction work, while sharply criticising what it described as the growing misuse of RTI activism.
A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi denied relief to RTI activist Rakesh Kumar Behl and his associate, questioning their authority to monitor government construction projects.
Observing that "RTI activism has become a new business", Justice Mehta said the government was responsible for overseeing the road project and rebuked the petitioners for interfering in the work.
"The Central government has issued funds, it will take care of the construction of the road. You are nobody. So-called RTI activist! Yellow journalism. Dismissed," Justice Mehta remarked.
Justice Bishnoi concurred, questioning the petitioners' role in supervising public works. "Who are you to monitor the construction of all these roads? Are you some superior authority or what?" he asked.
Behl has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order denying him anticipatory bail.
His counsel contended that they had been falsely implicated in the case as they had highlighted the corruption involved in the road construction work.
According to the FIR, Behl along with another accused, Rajiv Kumar alias Mintu, allegedly obstructed the ongoing road construction work in Batala of Gurdaspur district of Punjab and also intimidated the complainant under whose supervision the work was being executed and the labourers present at the site.
They also used derogatory remarks against the labourer and inflicted injuries on the complainant. An FIR was registered against them under Sections 304(2), 132, 221, 121(1), 351(2), 351(3), of BNS, 2023 (Sections 3(5), 121(2) of the BNS, 2023 and Section 3(1) of the SC/ST Act.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court in its order on May 14 said that the allegations levelled in the FIR disclose specific and direct involvement in obstructing the government work and refused to grant them anticipatory bail.
(With inputs from PTI)