Vidisha: &nbsp;A Right To Information (RTI) activist who earlier worked as a government contractor was allegedly shot dead by unidentified persons near the Public Works Department (PWD) office here on Thursday evening, police said. The victim was identified as Ranjeet Soni (42). District Superintendent of Police Monica Shukla said Soni was a resident of Ashoknagar district.He was shot in the head from behind, from a close range, in the portico of the PWD office, she said. CCTV cameras at the PWD office premises were not functioning, and police are looking for footage of cameras installed in the surrounding areas, the SP said.Personal rivalry could be the reason for the killing, she said. The assailants escaped from the spot after the incident, said Additional Superintendent of Police Samir Yadav.Soni used to collect information, quite often related to government works, by using the RTI Act, he said.—PTI

 A Right To Information (RTI) activist who earlier worked as a government contractor was allegedly shot dead by unidentified persons near the Public Works Department (PWD) office here on Thursday evening, police said.

RTI activist shot dead near govt office in MP's Vidisha

New Delhi: <span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has found two illegally constructed ‘mazaars’ built on government land inside a school premises in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district and has recommended that “the unlawful structures are removed from the premises”.&nbsp;
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The NCPCR has surveyed the CM Rise School of Kurwai in Vidisha district after taking suo-moto cognizance of a report about the presence of mazaar-like structure in the school.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The NCPCR Chairperson chairperson Priyank Kanoongo visited the school to conduct an inquiry in the matter. After his visit, the child rights body said that there were two mazaars constructed in the premises of CM Rise School.&nbsp;
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">“The first Mazaar like-structure was located in the backside area of the school and it was built by former councillor, Munne Khan Hussaini. It was found that on the said platform, no person comes to do any kind of religious ritual. Further, it was told by the teachers that sometimes, the former councillor comes on the said platform,” the NCPCR in a statement.&nbsp;
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">It was also observed during the visit that there was no boundary wall against the said mazaar and was open to the public for visit. The open access to the mazaar inside the school premises was observed to “pose a threat to the safety of children in the school”.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The NCPCR has instructed the Sub-Divisional Police Officer to take action, thereby prohibiting the entry of Munne Khan and others in the school premises.&nbsp;
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The second mazaar was recently constructed in February 2022 by Banne Khan, the husband of then Principal In-charge, Shahina Firdaus. The child rights body observed that no information of any kind was provided to the SDM, Kurwai by the School management regarding the construction of the said platform to date.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">“It was informed to the Chairperson during the visit by the teachers and the students that the National Anthem and other patriotic songs were not sung in the school till the time Shahina Firdaus was the principal. Previously, they sang the Madhya Pradesh Anthem and ‘Ae Maalik Tere Bande Hum’. The National Anthem was used to be sung only on Independence Day and Republic Day during her tenure.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The NCPCR said that during the interaction with the teachers and the students, it was also observed that the Muslim boys in the school were permitted to leave at 1 p.m. every Friday for Namaaz, during school hours.&nbsp;
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">Further, also during Shahina Firdaus’s tenure as principal, a room dedicated for the principal was used for Namaaz prayers and even some teachers used to go for Namaaz in that room.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The NCPCR in its recommendation has said that an order be issued putting a halt to the practice of allowing the children to leave the school premises for offering Namaaz during school hours. “A monthly status report of the functioning of the school and welfare of the children may be shared with the commission for the next three months,” it said.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The commission has recommended that the state government may pass an order mandating the schools in the state to sing the National Anthem as a part of the morning prayers.&nbsp;
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The NCPCR further said that “since no action was taken by the concerned DEO, it is recommended that the inquiry to be conducted in schools institutions in relation to the construction of mazaars is handed over to some other appropriate officer and the current DEO may be removed from his duties till the removal of all the mazaars from the schools”.
<span style="color: rgb(44,47,52);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif;">The commission has also recommended to lodge an FIR against Shahina Firdaus (former principal) and her husband Banne Khan for encroachment on the government land of the school and constructing the unauthorised structures therein.&nbsp;
—IANS

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has found two illegally constructed ‘mazaars’ built on government land inside a school premises in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district and has recommended that “the unlawful structures are removed from the premises”. 

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RTI activist shot dead near govt office in MP's Vidisha

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RTI activist shot dead near govt office in MP's Vidisha

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NCPCR recommends removal of mazaars from school pre ...