Slain RTI activist’s son dies by suicide, kin allege delay in justice

A slain RTI (right to information) activist’s 14-year-old son allegedly set himself on fire and jumped off a three-storey building in Bihar’s East Champaran district late Thursday night and died hours later in a hospital, police said.

A slain RTI (right to information) activist’s 14-year-old son allegedly set himself on fire and jumped off a three-storey building in Bihar’s East Champaran district late Thursday night and died hours later in a hospital, police said.

RTI activist Vipin Agrawal, who had exposed several cases of encroachment on government land, was shot dead in his home town Harsidih in East Champaran on September 24, 2021. (Picture for representation)

The boy’s grandfather, Vijay Agrawal, told HT over phone that the boy, a class 8 student, had gone to meet superintendent of police (SP) Dr Kumar Ashish on Thursday, but couldn’t.

“He was upset with delay in justice for his father’s murder and had sought audience with the SP, but couldn’t get it. He came home exasperated. Before he could be pacified, he set himself on fire and jumped off a three-storey building in a fit of anger,” Agrawal said, adding his grandson died in the course of treatment at a private hospital in Motihari, headquarters of East Champaran district.

RTI activist Vipin Agrawal, who had exposed several cases of encroachment on government land, was shot dead in his home town Harsidih in East Champaran on September 24, 2021.

SP Ashish expressed his ignorance about the boy’s visit. “I met people with complaints till 5 pm on Thursday and after then went to attend a meeting with the district judge. I meet 200 complainants every day and public interactions are regularly held at police stations. There is little reason why someone cannot meet me. We do not return any complainant disappointed,” he said.

On the action taken in the activist’s murder case, the SP said, “Of the 26 people named as accused in the murder, charges against 15 have been found prima facie true and seven of them, including the assailants, have been arrested. We have sought warrant against eight others from the court. Investigation against remaining 11 accused is underway.”

However, the slain activist’s father alleged that police were trying to shield the accused.

On October 16 last year, the slain activist’s wife, Monika Devi, along with other family members put up road blockade and slit her wrist in full public view at Harsidih in protest against the delay in the arrest of accused.