Abhimanyu Panda

RTI Activist and Human Rights Defender

Odisha

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on December 12, 2019, regarding the killing of an RTI activist an HRD Mr. Abhimanyu Panda in the Kandhamal district for using RTI to expose irregularities in government work in Odisha. He was aged 54 years, was a RTI activist, leader of anti-liquor movement, former sarpanch of Bataguda Gram Panchayat and ex-vice chairperson of Baliguda block. He was an executive body member of Jagannath Temple, Puri. The HRD was filing RTIs from the past eight years to expose corruption and irregularities in the government development work.

Since the RTI Act was enacted in the year 2005, various cases of assaults and killings of RTI activists have been reported across India. Sources share that RTI activists in Odisha have been facing harassment and threats but despite lodging complaints with the police regarding the same, regarding the threats and torture, but no action has been taken by the police and the state government. Mr Panda had also received several threats in the past, such as that from the District Superintendent of Excise who wanted him to withdraw a case filed by Mr Panda in which the High Court subsequently decided in his favour and ordered for closing down of the liquor shop. Mr. Panda’s recent RTI applications include for the four blocks of the Kandhamal district which infuriated the contractors and the public distribution service (PDS) dealers, as well as on the irregularities in the management of the Jagannath temple.

According to sources, On December 10, 2019, at about 7.30 AM, Mr Panda was shot dead in front of his house in Patrasahi village, Odisha, which is under the jurisdiction of the Baliguda police station. The assailants, on a bike, used a revolver to open fire from a close range and sped away. As per the FIR registered later, the assailants argued with him on the Jagannath temple issue and uttered “TU BADA BADA LOKANKA BIRUDHARE JAUCHHU TOTE MARIDEBU” (you are going against prominent people, we will kill you). He was taken to the Baliguda district hospital by locals who heard the shooting and subsequently declared brought dead by the doctors. Mr Nirmal Kumar Sahu, a cousin of Mr. Panda, at 8.30AM reported to the police in writing about the death. A FIR has been registered under Section 302 and 304 of IPC read with Section 25 and 29 of the Arms Act. On the basis of the complaint, four perpetrators have been identified by the police.