Despite directions from the government to protect RTI activists, there is no let up in the attacks on the information seekers across the country. Close on the heels of murder of an RTI activist Bhupendra Vera in Maharashtra on October 15, fresh statistics show that some 311 cases of attacks and harassment cases against RTI activists were reported between October 12, 2005 and October 17, 2016. This also includes murder of 56 information seekers also during the period.

Maharashtra tops the list with 52 instances of attacks, including 10 alleged murders and at least two suicides in the last 11 years, followed by Gujarat with 34 incidents, including eight alleged murders and one case of suicide. Last three years have reported 56 such cases, including 16 alleged murders of activists seeking information in public interest.

More so, there have been 130 instances of attacks or assaults, including attempts to murder of RTI users, during this period. The total number of persons attacked or assaulted could be more than 150 because more than one person was attacked in some incidents. Again Maharashtra tops this list with 29 incidents, followed by Gujarat (15 incidents), Delhi (12 incidents), Karnataka (10 incidents), Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh (9 incidents each).

The popularity of this legislation can be gauged from the fact that since its enactment, 1.75 crore people have used this law seeking information from the government, making it a big interface between public and government.

In July last year, Vice President Hamid Ansari had highlighted the phenomenon of attacks on RTI users saying that this shows the vulnerability of information seekers.

"Police authorities in states have to be sensitive to this and take effective steps to prevent the occurrence of such incidents. Exemplary punishment of the perpetrators would send a strong message around," he said.

Venkatesh Nayak, Programme Coordinator at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) said the Whistleblowers Protection Act, adopted in 2014 is not equipped to protect RTI users. The amendments to this Bill are pending in the Rajya Sabha.

"Under the whistleblower protection law, a citizen will be treated as a whistleblower only if he or she makes a complaint to the competent authority such as the Central Vigilance Commission, about a case of corruption or any offence committed by a public servant," he said. In a large majority of cases the victims sought information in public interest, even before obtaining it or let alone acting on it. He demanded a new mechanism by empowering the Information Commissions working in sync with other public authorities such as the police, the courts, the Human Rights Commissions, Vigilance Commissions or Lokayuktas to protect RTI users from harm at every stage.

58 deaths

Since the RTI Act came into force fully in 2005 at least 56 individuals are said to have paid the price of their lives for demanding transparency and accountability in government. 51 murders and 5 suicides linked to the RTI to seek information in public interest. 17 of the RTI users attacked or harassed are women. One woman died while trying to save her RTI-activist father-in-law from a murderous attack in Haryana.