RTI activist attacked in Mumbai suburb

Mumbai, Oct 8: An RTI activist was attacked by four persons, two of them believed to be cricket bookies, with chopper and hammer in suburban Kandivali, police said. According to police, the activist Mehul Kataria (39) was walking on the road last night in Kandivali, when four persons, wielding a chopper and hammer, started thrashing him.

The accused ran away from the spot, when people gathered around the place and Kataria was rushed to nearby Bhagwati hospital, with injuries on head and abdomen, police said.

"An FIR, under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) was registered against four persons for attacking Kataria," said Hareshwar Pimple, senior inspector at Kandivali police station.

"Of the four, he identified the two as Rakesh Rathod and Rajesh Nagaria, who according to him are cricket bookies," Pimpe said, adding that the manhunt for the accused was on. Kataria claimed that he had already requested for police protection, as he sensed threat from the bookies in the area, as their operations had been busted by police, following a tip-off provided by him in January this year.

"The bookies and their associates had grudges against me and had plans to attack me. I requested the police to provide protection, but they did not pay heed to my requests. I had even appealed in the Bombay High court, seeking protection and the court had directed the police review my matter and going by the threat perception, provide me security," Kataria claimed.

"But the local police did not look into the matter, as they were hand-in-gloves with the bookies," Kataria alleged. However, Pimple rubbished the allegations stating they had never received any court order in this regard.

PTI