JAJPUR: A Right To Information (RTI) activist’s family was assaulted at Rahasoi village within Dasarathpur police limits after he sought information on welfare projects being implemented in the gram panchayat.
The victim, Ashok Kumar Pati, alleged a few villagers were irked after he and his wife Lalita sought information on different government welfare projects being implemented in the gram panchayat. He alleged the villagers who are supporters of BJD attacked Lalita and his mother. As per a complaint filed by Lalita with Dasarathapur police, a few residents of Rahasoi led by the local sarpanch’s husband Siba Prasad Rath and BJD leader Dipti Ranjan Panigrahi came to her house on Friday and hurled abuses.
Hearing the commotion, Lalita and her mother-in-law came out of the house and protested. It led to a heated exchange of words between the villagers and Lalita and her mother-in-law. The villagers then attacked Lalita and her mother-in-law. “They dragged us to the village road and thrashed us in full public view,” the victim stated in her complaint. On being informed, local police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
Police arrested Dipti and Maheswar Sethy in connection with the incident on Saturday. Police said four separate FIRs have been filed by both the groups on Friday night and investigation into the incident is on.
“We came to know that the RTI activist had revealed some irregularities in implementation of government welfare projects in the panchayat. A few villagers who carried out the projects got angry and attacked the women of the RTI activist’s family. We have arrested two persons in connection with the incident and will arrest others soon,” said Dasarathapur IIC Badrikanath Behera.