Commissionerate Police Books RTI Activists for Spreading Allegedly False Information

Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police has taken action against three RTI activists, accusing them of spreading “fake and misleading information” regarding the security arrangements for 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman V K Pandian.

Sanjeev Panda, Commissioner of Police for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, addressed the media on Wednesday, announcing that Prakash Das, Srikant Pakal, and Pradip Pradhan of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan (OSAA) have been booked at the Saheed Nagar police station.

This move follows a recent petition filed by the BJP with the State Election Commission, urging the withdrawal of what they deemed as “superfluous security benefits” provided to Pandian. The BJP’s complaint was based on information purportedly revealed by the three RTI activists, suggesting that Pandian’s security detail of 74 personnel exceeded the allotted Z+ cover, which typically includes 55 guards.

The RTI activists had shared these claims during a press conference held in the state capital on March 29. However, Commissioner Sanjeev Panda dismissed their assertions as “fictitious and baseless.”