Mr. Chakrant Jena
RTI Activist
Odisha

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 29 January regarding intimidation and harassment of RTI activist Mr. Chakrant Jena by the local police administration in Rourkela in Sundergarh district of Odisha. Mr. Jena is an ex-serviceman and is actively involved in social activities. He has also been associated with the Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan for the last five years and has been carrying out awareness programs on RTI. He has been filling RTIs to different offices in order to help the poor people get justice.

Mr. Jena had filed an RTI application on December 8, 2016 to the Public Information Officer, Office of Inspector General of Police, Western Range, Rourkela, seeking information about licenses issued to private security agencies under the Private Securities Regulation Act and details of the procedure followed for issuing the license, etc. The RTI was forwarded to the Public Information Officer, Office of Superintendent of Police (SP), Rourkela. On denial of information, he filed a first appeal dated January 5, 2017 to the First Appellate Authority-cum-SP, Rourkela, to direct the Public Information Officer. The office of the First Appellate Authority issued a notice to him on January 12, 2017 evening by hand to attend the hearing on January 14, 2017 at 10 AM. Since the SP did not turn up till 1.15 PM, Mr. Jena left the office explaining his inability to wait since he had other engagements. Thereafter, he dispatched a letter by post, addressing the SP, with a request to give another notice, since the Additional SP, Rourkela, refused to acknowledge proof of his presence on January 14, 2017.

Following this, Mr. Jena was served another notice by the SP-cum Appellate Authority via the Chhend Police Station, Rourkela, on January 16, 2017, during evening hours to attend a rescheduled date of hearing on January 18, 2017, at 11 AM. On January 18, 2017, he was escorted to the SP office on his arrival at 11 AM. He made a request to the First Appellate Authority to allow one of his friends inside the chamber to advocate on his behalf. The SP refused to give permission; he was rude and visibly angry. The tone and tenor of his expression were demeaning and unbecoming of an IPS officer.

The SP stated that the letter was written to him to establish the presence of Mr.  Jena on January 14, 2017, for the hearing was beyond the courtesy and decorum supposed to be followed by a common man. The SP threatened to implicate him in a criminal case around his residential colony and that he will get him arrested. The SP asked Mr.  Jena about his livelihood. Mr.  Jena responded that he worked as a supervisor in contracts/projects and also helped his father in agricultural work after his retirement from the army. The SP threatened to block his business and that he will put him and his family in distress.