City activist forwards Bhorade appeal for protection to state home dept

Borhade has submitted an appeal to the Sangamner police station in Ahmednagar of having received threats. He had submitted a copy to Velankar. With the state government having earlier assured the Bombay High Court that it was keen on providing protection to genuine activists fighting for causes,Velankar has forwarded the appeal to the state home department.

The issue had come up during the hearing of the RTI activist Satish Shetty murder case.

An interim order was issued by the Bombay High court that social activists should be given protection if they receive any threats. Shetty who was killed in January in Pune at Talegaon. had blown the whistle on a series of land scams in and around Talegaon ,Lonavala and Pimpri-Chinchwad and was murdered by assailants near his residence at Talegaon-Dabhade. The High Court took up Shetty’s case on it own,and turned it into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the protection of civic activists.

Borhade had sought information from the sub-divisional officer of Sangamner regarding the transfer and sale of land in Sangmner which was given to the descendents of late poet and performer Anand Phandi. “With the descendents not allowed to sell the land,I had sought information about the details from the SDO on June 2. I got threat calls regarding my RTI application on July 7-8 from unknown numbers. I have filed an appeal at the police station demanding a thorough inquiry on how this detail reached others. He said the RTI application has been leaked out from the sub-registrar office,” said Borhade. Velankar has forwaded the police complaint as well as the RTI copy to the home department. “If activists face life threats,the home department has to make arrangements and give police protection,” he said.

Additional chief secretary Chandra Iyengar had filed an affidavit that the state government was keen on setting up a committee to identify and laying down guidelines as to who should be treated as an activist individual/group in order to ensure protection. ‘

She had said they would start by defining the word activist and the committee would comprise of people from various backgrounds who have made immense contribution to the social sector. Suggestions and guidelines will be part of the committee and those needing protection will have to fit the rules.

Meanwhile the CBI is yet to start probe in the Shetty murder case,that was handed over to it by Maharashtra last month though the police had completed the probe and charge sheeted five persons,as the notification has not been issued by the central government yet.