An RTI activist was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Sitarampuram village in Agiripalli mandal of Krishna district. Sola Ranga Rao, who had sought information about the utilisation of funds meant for a drainage pipeline through his village, was found dead on the roadside on Sunday.
?We suspect that some persons who may have been affected if the information under RTI was provided to him may be responsible for his death,? said Krishna district SP D Ramachandraiah. ?We have started investigations, the post-mortem report is awaited,? he added.
Rao had filed RTI applications with the Mandal Parishad Development Office seeking information on the sum of 10 lakhs meant for the pipeline and had written that he suspected the money was being siphoned off.
The Andhra Pradesh State Information Commission has written to the District Magistrate and SP of Krishna District to conduct separate investigations and submit a report in the matter. State Information Commissioner R Dileep Kumar said it was being suspected that the Mandal Parishad Development Office?s Public Information Officer had a hand in leaking the details of Rao?s RTI application. ?We suspect the role of the PIO in leaking details to the person or persons who could have been affected if the information sought by Rao was made public which may have resulted in his death.
Based on statements given by Rao?s parents that he was being threatened with dire consequences if he did not withdraw his RTI application,? Dileep Kumar said.
The MPDO and members of the Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) and Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP), on the other hand, have alleged that Rao was an alcoholic who met with an accident while driving his scooter in an inebriated condition on the night of April 11.
The MPP says that Rao?s small roadside eatery in the village was to be demolished to make way for the pipeline and his RTI applications were meant to stall the progress of work. Betapudi Kumari, ZPTC member of Agiripalli says that Rao had encroached on government land to construct his eatery.
?To lay the pipeline the R&B department issued him a notice that the eatery would be demolished. Rao went to court which ordered a stay until further notice. This happened two years ago and since then Rao has been trying to stall the work by creating one hurdle after another. His death appears to be an accident and has nothing to do with the MPDO,? she says.
Venkat Rao, Sola Ranga Rao?s father, alleged that his son had received several threatening calls on his mobile phone. ?On Sunday he was called by someone who said that he had information about those who were involved in siphoning off funds meant for village development. He went and never came back. Someone came and told us that he met with an accident. We took him to Nuzvid hospital where he was declared dead,? he said.