RTI activist shot dead outside PWD office in MP’s Vidisha

A 36-year-old RTI activist was shot dead in front of public works department (PWD) in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha on Thursday afternoon, police said.

A resident of Ashok Nagar, Ranjeet Soni was an RTI activist and also a contractor of PWD.

“Soni was going to the PWD office when he was shot dead. The murderer shot at his head. He died on the spot,” Vidisha additional superintendent of police (ASP) Sameer yadav said.

“Prima facie, it was learnt that Soni was a small contractor of PWD and used to file RTIs to get information related to work being done by the department,” the ASP said.

A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “He had an animosity with a few people who accused him of blackmailing. Police have detained a few people. But in the absence of eyewitnesses and CCTV cameras in any nearby shop and offices, it may get difficult to identify the accused soon.”