Rapar, Kutch:
A week after an Right To Information (RTI) activist in Gujarat immolated himself in protest against delays in providing information on his RTI application, the police are still to effect any arrest.
45-year-old Jabbardhan Gadhvi set himself on fire after there was no response to his application asking for ownership records of his family land. Gadhvi had moved the application a year ago.
"My brother had warned of this extreme step. I had also told officials to take preventive steps but nothing was done to stop him from immolating himself", said Mavaladhan Gadhvi, brother of the deceased.
After Gadhvi's suicide, the state has suspended the local revenue officials for not acting on his RTI application. The family, though, is demanding that the officials should be charged with abetment to suicide.
The case is yet another incident of how RTI activists have been facing intimidation from those who fear being exposed
Last year, whistleblower Keshubhai Jadeja immolated himself allegedly because he was being threatened for trying to expose a billing scam by seniors in his department.