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Supreme Court Denies Anticipatory Bail To RTI Activist In Punjab Road Project Case, Questions ‘RTI Activism’ Trend

· Free Press Journal

Mumbai, June 15: The Supreme Court on Monday refused anticipatory bail to RTI activist Rakesh Kumar Behl and his aide in a case related to the alleged obstruction of a road construction project in Punjab.

While rejecting their plea, the court made strong observations on the growing trend of self-styled activism, saying that “RTI activism has become a new business”.

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A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi questioned the authority of the accused to monitor government-funded construction work and intervene in its execution.

The court was hearing a challenge to a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had earlier denied anticipatory bail to the two men,Live Law and Bar & Bench report.

Court Observations On Activism
During the hearing, counsel for the accused argued that they were exposing alleged corruption in the road project, for which Rs 57 crore had reportedly been released by the Central government. The accused claimed they had raised concerns over the use of substandard materials and were falsely implicated because of their complaints.

The bench, however, was unconvinced. Justice Mehta observed that it was for the authorities to look into such allegations and not private individuals. “The Central government has issued funds. It will take care of the construction of the road. You are nobody. So-called RTI activist. Yellow journalism,” he remarked while dismissing the plea.

Justice Bishnoi echoed similar concerns and asked why the accused were monitoring the road construction work. “Who are you to monitor the construction of all these roads? Are you some superior authority or what?” he asked.

The remarks reflect the court’s apparent concern over individuals taking on oversight roles without any statutory authority, especially when public projects are already subject to official monitoring mechanisms.

FIR Allegations Detailed
The case stems from an FIR registered at Batala City police station on February 20 this year. According to the prosecution, Behl and co-accused Rajiv Kumar alias Mintu obstructed an ongoing road construction project in Batala, Gurdaspur district. They allegedly intimidated the complainant supervising the work as well as labourers present at the site.

The FIR further alleges that the accused assaulted the complainant, causing multiple injuries. One allegation states that a sharp-edged weapon was used during the attack, while the other accused allegedly kicked the complainant repeatedly. Police have also alleged that government records were snatched during the incident.

The accused are further alleged to have made caste-based derogatory remarks against labourers belonging to Scheduled Castes. Based on these allegations, an FIR was registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Section 3(1) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

High Court Findings
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, while rejecting anticipatory bail on May 14, noted that the FIR disclosed specific and direct involvement of the accused in obstructing government work. The High Court also referred to medical evidence indicating that the complainant suffered seven injuries, one of which was found to be grievous.

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The High Court had observed that allegations of corruption in the road project could not, by themselves, justify anticipatory bail when the allegations in the FIR were supported by medical evidence. It also held that custodial interrogation was necessary.

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· The Age

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'Jab Kisi Ki Laash Niklegi Tab Samajh Aayega': Munawar Faruqui Urges People To Stop Trolling Pranit More Over ₹370 Biryani Row - VIDEO

· Free Press Journal

Comedian Munawar Faruqui once again weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding comedian Pranit More's viral Rs 370 biryani show incident, urging people to stop targeting those involved and move on from the issue.

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For those unversed, the controversy began after a video from one of Pranit More's shows went viral on social media. During an audience interaction segment, 23-year-old Himanshu Jangra made controversial remarks about a woman he had gone on a date with. Referring to a plate of chicken biryani that cost Rs 370, he suggested that he deserved a "return" on his spending, sparking outrage online.

The backlash escalated, leading to criticism of both Jangra and More. While Jangra later apologised and deactivated his social media accounts, More also issued an apology for the hurt caused by the incident.

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Now, Munawar appealed to social media users to stop prolonging the outrage. Sharing a video on his Instagram story, the comedian acknowledged that problematic comments were made but stressed that the consequences had already been severe.

He said, “Mujhe lagta hai ab hum sabko tham jana chahiye. Comedian ne bahut galat baat boli, crowd work mein bhi bahut galat baat hui. Uss ladki ne bhi jo bola, main usse disagree karta hoon. Unhone jo bola, mujhe sunna pasand nahi hai, lekin ek level hota hai (I think all of us need to stop now. The comedian said something very wrong, and what happened during the crowd-work segment was also deeply problematic. I also disagree with what that woman said. I did not like hearing any of it, but there has to be a limit).”

Munawar further pointed out that those involved had already faced repercussions.

He added, "FIR ho gayi, job chali gayi, career khatam ho gaya, samaj mein izzat chali gayi, sab ho gaya. Unke saath unki baaton ke liye bahut bura hua hai, lekin ab tham jao. Content ke naam par jo unhe nichoda ja raha hai, bas karo bhai (An FIR has been filed, jobs have been lost, careers have been damaged, and their reputation in society has been ruined; all of that has already happened. They have faced serious consequences for what they said, but now it is time to stop. The way people are continuing to squeeze every bit of content out of this situation needs to end)."

The comedian also warned against the dangers of relentless online harassment and urged people to consider the human impact of such situations.

'Comedy Special Me Bhi Defend Karna...': Munawar Faruqui Takes An Indirect Dig At Samay Raina Amid Pranit More Row

Concluding his message, he said, “Unn logon ne jo baat boli, uska zakhm unhe mil gaya. Jab kisi ki laash niklegi na, tab tumhe samajh aayega. Bas karo ab. Har cheez ki ek limit hoti hai. Legally unpar jo hona hoga, ho jayega, par tum ab chup ho jao (They have already suffered enough for what they have said. By the time someone loses their life, people will finally realise they went too far. Enough now. Everything has a limit. Whatever legal consequences they are supposed to face will happen, but the public outrage and relentless piling on should stop)."

The controversy has already had serious consequences. Himanshu Jangra, who was employed at Starvik Design, lost his job after the incident gained traction online. The company's founder, Vivek Vishwakarma, announced the decision through social media.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cyber Police registered a case against Pranit More, and the National Commission for Women (NCW) summoned both More and Jangra over the controversial remarks.

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