Whistleblower-RTI Activist Satish Shetty Killed in Pune


Pune, Jan 13 (IANS) Leading Right to Information (RTI) activist Satish Shetty - who exposed many land scams in Maharashtra - was killed by unidentified men while on a morning walk at Talegaon on the outskirts of this city Wednesday.

"Around 7.15 a.m., when Shetty was on his morning walk, some unidentified people assaulted him and injured him seriously. He was rushed to a private hospital, but succumbed later," Pradeep Aphale, investigating officer of Talegaon Police Station, told IANS.

According to a colleague, 38-year-old Shetty left home around 6.45 a.m. for his usual morning walk when some people attacked him with swords near Bhandari Hospital.

Shetty, a systematic whistleblower, was credited with throwing light on several major land scams in the picturesque Talegaon-Lonavala regions, now a favourite with realtors in the state.

He shot to fame after exposing certain corrupt land deals in and around the country's first expressway, the Mumbai-Pune expressway, over a decade ago.

Condemning the incident, leading Mumbai crusader Sumaira Abdulali said this comes barely a week after the attack on another prominent Mumbai social activist Nayana Kathpalia and threats to Neera Punj of Citispace.

"This has become a trend and social activists are considered soft targets, the government must take immediate steps to stop such attacks," Abdulali, convenor of Movement against Intimidation, Threats and Revenge against Activists (MITRA), told IANS.

MITRA has sent letters to Home Minister R.R. Patil listing the attacks suffered by activists in the past few years.

Abdulali was threatened and assaulted in May 2004, H.S. D'Lima of Citispace threatened and assaulted in March 2005, James John of AGNI was threatened and assaulted in March 2006, activist Edwin Britto was threatened and attacked in 2000 and again in June 2005, Suryakant Panchal of BEAG was assaulted in June 2004, Anandini Thakoor and Aftab Siddiqui got threats in July 2005, January 2009 and mobbed thrice, Navin Pandya of AGNI was threatened and attacked in September 2009, S. Ganesan was threatened and attacked in November 2002, and Navleen Kumar was attacked in 2002.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Deven Sequeira, Pune, Mangalore, Doha

    Thu, Jan 14 2010

    Very sad to hear about this development. All this happens because of greed of man. No amount of money is enough for these greedy people. They use all the crooked means to achieve their purposes. Now the cops have to arrest and expose all those behind this act and they should be allowed to do this. I wish the media really follows this case up close so that the real culprits are caught and put behind bars.

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  • Ravindranath Shetty, Mangalore/Sharjah

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    Heartfelt condolences to the family of late Mr. Satish Shetty, who lost his life in fight against the anti-social /anti – national groups. He is a martyr, fought and sacrificed his life for the protection of society and country. We have to wait and see how many of political leaders will come in support of the family of Mr. Shetty and when Maharashtra Govt. will arrest the culprits. No major land scams can take place without the politician’s partnership therefore those politicians are trying their level best to terrorize the social activists who they consider are obstruction to their corrupt practices.

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  • Ninette, Mangalore

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    Corrupt people are telling the public to imitate the 3 monkeys scenario of hear no evil and even if you hear .. do not venture to investigate and see it .. and when you find the proof, just brush it under the carpet .. do not speak about the findings. Satish Shetty broke all these rules. He leaned towards justice and became a thorn in the hide of some powerful people. Satish Shetty has exposed a lot of corruption in the land deals and other issues. I truly hope the main culprits along with their hirelings who committed this heinous crime should be brought to justice without further delay.

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  • Henry Misquith, MANGALORE/BAHRAIN

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    It is brave people like Sathish Shetty, who keep the country from total control of goons. Long live Sathish Shetty & may God bless his family.

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  • Shankar, Dubai

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    Law and Order become worst in Mumbai.. Its time for president rule there

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  • Bulsam, Mangalore

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    Don't allow the 'Might is Right' to suppress the truth by killing the RTI activists. More such activist should come up to the forefront & fight against these Powerful Scam Cartels.

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  • Shahab, Mangalore

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    Iam really sad to hear a man who always stood for justice was killed for bringing out truth to the society .

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  • AMAR NATHAL, MANGALORE

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    Mr. Shetty lived for a purpose without fear. He will be an inspiration to many. No one can silence the truth.

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  • Jude, Mangalore Dubai

    Wed, Jan 13 2010

    No point in complaining to R.R. Patil. His priority and passion is bar dancers and not terrorists and gangsters.What can you expect person a person who described the 9/11 attack as a minor issue.

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