No Data on Killing of Whistleblowers and RTI Activists: Government

The Central Vigilance Commission has no data regarding killing of whistleblowers or RTI activists.

Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh. (Photo: Twitter/@ANI_news)

There is no centralised data regarding killing of whistleblowers or RTI activists, the government said today.

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which is the designated agency for receiving whistleblowers’ complaints, has informed that it has not come across any confirmed incident of victimisation or killing of the complainant in past three years.

However, in two cases, the complainant, who had made complaints to the Commission had alleged victimisation, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in Lok Sabha.

One of the whistleblowers of the recent Vyapam scam suffered three attacks on his life and was given one security personnel to protect him (Photo courtesy: Twitter/@ManuMoudgil)

Days after Dr Anand Rai lodged a complaint with the CBI against a senior BJP leader in connection to the Vyapam scam, he was transferred from Indore to Dhar district by the MP government. (Photo: ANI Screengrab)

There have been reports in the media that some persons have been allegedly assaulted and killed in the last three years due to their role as RTI activists. However, data regarding such attacks or killing of whistleblowers and RTI activists are not maintained centrally.

Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel

The CVC, after receiving complaints from whistleblowers about threats to their life, takes up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal agency, to undertake the responsibility of providing security cover to genuine whistleblowers, a term given to people who expose corruption, the Minister said.

The Home Ministry, in turn, asks individual state governments to examine the threat and provide security cover, if needed, he said.

The government of India has drawn the attention of state governments to the reports appearing in the media about the victimisations of people, who use RTI to expose corruption and irregularities in administration, through maintenance of law and order and providing safety and security for all citizens is primarily the subject matter of state government concerned.

Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel