MP: Disabled assaulted for seeking RTI info

A sarpanch’s son roughed up a disabled person for seeking information about two welfare schemes under the Right To Information (RTI) Act and later assaulted his family members with a sharp-edged weapon. The attacks took place at a village about 15km from the Khandwa district headquarters on Saturday. The injured were at a hospital in Khandwa and reportedly out of danger.

A sarpanch’s son roughed up a disabled person for seeking information about two welfare schemes under the Right To Information (RTI) Act and later assaulted his family members with a sharp-edged weapon. The attacks took place at a village about 15km from the Khandwa district headquarters on Saturday. The injured were at a hospital in Khandwa and reportedly out of danger.

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Tailor Gendalal, 45, had sought information about the number of beneficiaries of the Indira Awas Yojana and Antyodaya schemes to provide houses and foodgrains to the poor. The RTI application was filed on October 11. This enraged sarpanch Gulab Singh Sirsodia and his family.

So, on Saturday evening, Sirsodia’s son Manoj, who was inebriated, beat Gendalal in full public view. After some time, he attacked the victim’s parents and sister with a sickle.

“We complained to police about this incident but they paid no heed,” Gendalal said. Two months ago, the sarpanch told him he wouldn’t provide Gendalal any benefit under any scheme because he had complained to the district collector. “Therefore, I sought information under the RTI,” Gendalal said.
Police are investigating.