Gujarat: 55-yr-old RTI activist strangled, body found in Tharad canal

Ahmedabad: Rasik Parmar, a disabled RTI activist and whistleblower , known for exposing several civic body scams over the past decade, was found dead in a canal in Tharad on Tuesday evening. According to the FIR filed by the deceased's nephew, the 55-year-old Vadaj resident suffered paralysis in both arms and one leg after an electric shock incident years ago. Despite his disability, he remained active in social and civic matters and was recognized locally as a crusader against corruption, the FIR states.

The FIR states that Parmar exposed alleged irregularities in the slum redevelopment project under the PPP scheme, which involved 1,449 houses and 130 shops. He repeatedly filed complaints with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the Gandhinagar collector's office, the chief minister's office and the high court regarding forged beneficiary documents and other irregularities by local builders.

The complainant said Parmar received repeated threats from individuals named Raju Karate and Kamlesh Solanki, who were allegedly involved in the irregularities. They had warned him against exposing their wrongdoing, according to the FIR. Despite the threats, Parmar continued his activism, posting updates on social media and messaging groups, declaring he would not be intimidated.

On Oct 12, Parmar was allegedly abducted by unidentified people from near his relative's residence. His body was found in the canal and showed signs of strangulation. Police sources said the body was recovered in the early hours of Wednesday and sent to the Tharad civil hospital for a postmortem.

Tharad police confirmed that a case of murder and criminal conspiracy has been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. "We are investigating all angles, including previous threats and disputes related to slum redevelopment projects. Prima facie, this appears to be targeted killing," police sub-inspector C P Chaudhary of Tharad police said.