A ten-year-old son of a Kendrapada-based RTI activist is now struggling for life at the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack after miscreants attacked him brutally in an attempt to take revenge on his father, whom they have denied to seek information against them under RTI.
Suvam Sarathi, son of RTI campaigner Kalandi Rout of Bhagabanpur village under the Marshaghai police station, was assaulted by the miscreants on May 15 midnight when he was asleep. He has sustained severe head injuries. After a week-long unsuccessful treatment at an expenditure of Rs 2 lakh in a private hospital, the parents ensured his admission at the Central ICU of the SCB Hospital.
The boy was attacked as his father fought against corruption using RTI in the locality.
Sources said te miscreants targeted Kalandi, a daily wage labourer, after he sought information about the details of repair of the Udayabata Upper Primary School building.
Kalandi found alleged misappropriation of around Rs 15 lakh in the repair work and mismanagement of fund for MDM by the headmaster and Block and District Education Officers. He filed an RTI application to the Marshaghi BEO PIO seeking information about the details of fund sanctioned and utilisation along with copy of bills and vouchures.
“The whole administration got disturbed having seen the application and tried to convince him to withdraw the application. When Kalandi was determined to pursue the application and also filed a first appeal petition after denial of information by the PIO, he received a lot of threat calls for murder from different people. He has also got the information that a coterie of powerful people, including Block Chairman and officials and contractors are getting organised to attack him at anytime. The attack on his son Suvam at midnight is the result of the conspiracy hatched by the coterie,” alleged RTI activist Pradip pradhan.
The local police are yet to nab the culprits. If anybody wants to extend financial support to Suvam may contact Kalandi at his mobile phone 9583303401.