Lalit Mehta (1972- 14 May 2008) was an Indian
social activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in Social change, social, Political campaign, political, economic or Natural environment, environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes i ...
.
Social Activist
Mehta, a 36-year-old engineer-turned-social-activist, was involved in activities that sought to advance rural employment, basic health facilities, right to food, and child rights. His organisational involvement was essentially with foundations that had a Gandhian orientation and outlook. Mehta was a full-time activist of the Right to Food Campaign and the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan; he was also the secretary of the Vikas Sahyog Kendra (VSK), a non-governmental organisation based in Palamau.
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Death
Mehta was murdered in 2008. After his murder, the Naxals belonging to the Communist Party of India (Maoist)
The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is a Marxist–Leninist–Maoist banned communist political party and militant organization in India which aims to overthrow the "semi-colonial and semi-feudal Indian state" through protracted people' ...
distributed a leaflet claiming that they knew Mehta's killers and they would be brought to justice, saying that they would make crimes such as murder be punishable by death.[Lalit Mehta with his two children, in Palamau. The Chief Minister has ordered a CBI probe into his murder.]
In January 2009 Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
Police recovered the body of Raju Singh, who was the prime suspect in the crime, claiming that he was killed by naxals.
Personal life
Mehta was survived by his wife and two sons.[
]
See also
* Right to Information Act, 2005
The Right to Information (RTI) is an act of the Parliament of India which sets out the rules and procedures regarding citizens' right to information. It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2002. Under the provisions of RTI Act, an ...
* Attacks on RTI activists in India
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Lalit
Activists from Jharkhand
Assassinated Indian people
1972 births
2008 deaths
Deaths by firearm in India
Indian whistleblowers
Right to Information activists
People murdered in Jharkhand