* On December 12, 2007, Chandradip Singh, a retired Armyman from Sarai, Maner, filed an RTI application with the Assistant SP, Danapur, to know the progress of investigation into the murders of his son and daughter eight years earlier. On March 16, 2008, the police allegedly implicated him falsely in a case of rape. Singh was in prison from April 9 to May 2, when an NGO helped him get bail. Singh says the police threatened him with dire consequences for following up with his RTI plea.

* In June 2007, Kishori Ram of Bhabhua wanted to know from the sub-divisional officer, Mohania, how two musclemen from his village had built a private house on government land. On July 21, the Ramgarh police allegedly evicted Ram from his home, and subsequently dismantled it, and charged Ram with obstructing a public servant from doing his duty.

* In September-October 2006, Shivprakash Rai, a farmer from Buxar, filed an RTI application seeking to know the amount of loans and subsidies given by 69 banks under the Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana. In February 2008, he was called to the office of the District Magistrate, where he was allegedly asked to sign papers acknowledging the receipt of replies to his questions. Rai refused. On March 1, 2008, he was booked for obstructing a public servant and jailed for 29 days.

These are three examples from a list of 42 RTI applications filed in Bihar over the past few years, in which information officials have been accused of harassing applicants by filing false cases against them. The Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) has now recommended that all these officials be placed under suspension.

... contd.