SHILLONG: The Civil society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) has condemned the arrest of R. Rajamarthandan, “an honest IPS officer”, in Assam.
Rajamarthandan was arrested for giving replies to an RTI application on life and liberty within 48 hours.
In a statement issued to the media, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said illegal detention on denial of information on this part would lead to gross human rights violation.
A delegation of CSWO visited the officer in Guwahati on Monday.
“The official’s conscience would not allow withholding information and that is what he told us when we met him briefly as he was being produced in the court of the SDJM in Guwahati on Monday,” Kharshiing said.
Quoting the official, CSWO said around 65 persons were detained when there was no evidence against them.
“The authorities have the video, why are they not going through that,” the CSWO quoted Rajamarthandan as saying.
“This system of hiding truth is bad and I do not want my children to ask questions later why their father did nothing,” the official told CSWO.
The organisation said the RTI Act specifies that intelligence and security organisations are exempted from the application of the Act. However, it also mentions that in case the demand for information pertains to allegations of corruption and human rights violations, the Act will apply even to such institutions. Illegal detention is tantamount to human rights violation and as a PIO he has done the right thing by providing the information, she said.
Many social activists and media persons from Meghalaya have found this officer a down-to-earth person whose performance is exemplary as he had served in Meghalaya too since he is an Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
His arrest would bring down the morale of the good and honest police officers in both the states.
CSWO extended its support to him and assured to work together with honest police officers to bring about a transparent and accountable system of governance.
