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Journalism of Courage
A Lakhisarai-bases RTI activist,who had filed dozens of RTI applications on hoarding,black marketing,appointment of panchayat teachers and aanganwadi workers and status of development schemes in villages,was shot dead on Thursday morning at his native village,barely five km from the district town.
The RTI activist,Ramvilas Singh (56),also Amhara panchayat samiti member,is suspected to have been killed because of political rivalry with a person whose wife he had defeated in panchayat elections early this year. A murder case against unknown persons has been filed at Lakhisarai Town police station.
The murder took place at Ramvilass paternal Bhavangama village under Amhara panchayat. Unidentified assailants hiding in nearby bushes fired at Singh. Two bullets hit him in chest and he died while being taken to the hospital.
Lakhisarai sub-divisional officer Vinay Kumar Roy said the police strongly suspected the involvement of his political rival from the same village,Rajesh Singh alias Bambam. However,they were looking for evidence to file a case against him. Lakhisarai SP Chaurasia C Azad said: We are looking into all other possible angles. As he had been an active RTI activist trying to expose black marketers and other unscrupulous elements,the police are looking into other possible aspects too.
The activist had recently received a threat call from one Roshan Singh,incarcerated brother of Rajesh (whose wife he had defeated in the last panchayat elections). He had lodged a complaint against Roshan Singh at a local court recently.
Ever since Ramvilas became a panchayat samiti member and tried to take up development projects with the block administration successfully,Bambam had been getting more jealous and would often threaten to kill him, said a police officer.
