3 RTI activists roughed up

Three persons, including a woman, who went to a Delhi University college to seek information under the Right to Information Act, were allegedly beaten up in the university premises on Thursday.

Three persons, including a woman, who went to a Delhi University college to seek information under the Right to Information Act, were allegedly beaten up in the university premises on Thursday.

HT Image

The incident was reported around 5pm on Thursday at Satyawati College in the Ashok Vihar area of northwest Delhi.

Police said they had received a complaint from the college administration about the incident and were examining
the matter.

One of the activists — Gopal Prasad — alleged that the college staff manhandled them and deliberately broke the computers to frame them.

A woman activist who was present with him was also locked in the room and reportedly blackmailed by the college staff.

Prasad said that the college staff was angry with him as he had filed eight Right to Information (RTI) Act applications earlier.

"I had gone to lodge another RTI application when I was attacked. I was asked to pay R218. I was asked to meet an official who was not at his seat,” said Prasad.

“Thereafter, I went to the finance section. When I probed further, I was beaten up," Prasad added.

Gupta had sought information on some trees that had been felled in the college premises.

The other two people who were allegedly manhandled were identified as Anil Mittal who operated a canteen in the college premises earlier and the woman, identified as Nanda Sawant, who is involved with a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

"We have received complaints from both the parties and are examining it," said Meenu Chaudhury, deputy commissioner of police (north-west).