The Supreme Court on Monday (May 15) rejected the anticipatory bail plea of RTI activist Rakesh Kumar Behl, who is accused of obstructing a public servant in connection with the construction of a road.
A bench comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi denied the bail. The court orally observed that RTI activism has become a new business.
Justice Mehta said, “RTI activists have become a new business. Central government has issued funds, it will take care of the construction of road. You are nobody. So-called RTI activist!. Yellow journalism. Dismissed.”
Justice Bishnoi also raised the question on why Behl was monitoring the construction of the road.
“Who are you to monitor the construction all these road progress or all? Are you some superior authority?”
Behl approached the Supreme Court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court refused to grant him anticipatory bail. His counsel argued that he and the co-accused had been falsely implicated for exposing alleged corruption in the road construction project.
According to the FIR, Behl and another accused, Rajiv Kumar alias Mintu, obstructed ongoing road construction work in Batala, Gurdaspur district, Punjab. The complaint alleges that they interfered with the project’s execution, intimidated the supervising official and labourers at the site, made derogatory remarks against a worker, and caused injuries to the complainant.
Subsequently, FIR was registered against them under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, as well as Section 3(1) of the SC/ST Act.
In its May 14 order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had refused to grant anticipatory bail, observing that the allegations in the FIR disclosed the “specific and direct involvement” of the accused in obstructing government work. The Supreme Court upheld that view and dismissed the plea.
