Rights group slams Jamia for “harassing” RTI activist

The Association for Protection of Civil Rights has criticised the Jamia Millia Islamia for sending a legal notice of defamation worth Rs.50 lakh to RTI activist Afroz Alam Sahil – who was instrumental in bringing into the public domain the post-mortem report of Batla House encounter – and termed the move as an attempt to harass him.

In a statement, the secretary of Delhi Chapter of ACPR, Akhlak Ahmad, said: “As Afroz Alam Sahil is constantly questioning Jamia's administration through RTI, so this is an open attempt to suppress the voice of dissent as well as freedom of speech.”

Mr. Ahmad said it is well known that over the last six months Mr. Sahil had been campaigning “to ensure democratic rights for students of Jamia Millia Islamia, where election of Students Union have not been allowed since 2006”.

The ACPR office-bearer said there are many other issues too which have been raised by the RTI activist through his applications, campaigning letters, handbills and letters to professors and faculty members.

Recalling that Mr. Sahil had got the post-mortem report into the Batla House encounter through his RTI application, he said the activist had also raised issues pertaining to corruption, fellowships, hostel allotment, health services and security for women.

“Sahil has contributed a lot through his RTI activism to expose irregularities and corruption in public institutions,” the ACPR office-bearer said.

The organisation has demanded that the Jamia administration withdraw its legal notice with immediate effect to ensure freedom of speech and to encourage its own outstanding student. “Instead of sending the legal notice, Jamia should clarify the issues raised by Sahil,” Mr. Ahmad said.