Who killed RTI activist Shehla Masood?

Bhopal: Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday wrote to the Madhya Pradesh state urging them to probe the murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood thoroughly, even as CNN-IBN accessed a letter Masood herself wrote to the state government, saying that she had received death threats. The question is if the Bhopal police ignore the clear threats.

Shehla Masood was found murdered outside her residence just as she was leaving for Anna Hazare's rally in Bhopal on Tuesday. The investigations, so far, have yielded little apart from transfers of two top police officials. Sources in the government, have, however revealed that Masood had filed many controversial RTIs related to income tax details about BJP Rajya Sabha MP Anil Madhav Dave and his NGO, as well as the chairman of the Chirayu Medical College and hospital Dr Ajay Goenka. In fact just recently, the Environment Ministry had ordered an enquiry against the Chirayu foundation for flouting environment laws.

Medical and legal experts, in fact, have confirmed that she was murdered.

Dr DS Badkur, Medico legal director, Madhya Pradesh said, "No possibility can be ruled out, but it the weapon was made in India and the bullet is of 8 mm."

CNN-IBN has access to a letter written by Masood a year ago to the state government in which she complained she feared for her life and mentioned IPS officer Pawan Srivastava. Meanwhile, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh who had interacted with Masood when he was the environment minister, has written to the state government urging them to investigate her murder.

The attack on yet another RTI activist, who seemed to have taken on the mighty, has left many shocked. It seems that early warnings from Masood on possible threats were ignored by the state police. It remains to be seen whether the investigations will throw up any leads in the big question her family is asking.

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