Service was Shetty's focus SHOOT THE MESSENGER: ATTACKS ON RTI ACTIVISTS WORRY COURTS Mangalore: "He wanted to empower people through the Right to Information Act and was crazy about social work. In reality, he was helping the state government through RTI," said Sandeep Shetty, brother of Satish Shetty. Satish, a social activist, who had blown the whistle on a series of land scams in and around Talegaon, Lonavala and Pimpri-Chinchwad, was brutally murdered by unidentified assailants near his residence at Talegaon-Dabhade on Wednesday morning. Sandeep told TOI from Talegoan that they had an inkling something bad was going to happen as he was getting threatening calls from many days. "But this (murder) was totally unexpected," said Sandeep, who was performing the last rites of his brother on Thursday. "He was not materialistic like us. We had told him to get employed and make some money for himself. But his heart was in social service and helping the people," pointed out Sandeep. Satish was the third of four siblings of Bhoja and Laxmi Shetty hailing from Punchur, Bellampady Bhoja Shetty left for Pune in the early 60s and was in the restaurant business. Both his parents passed away recently. The family visits Punchur once a year during the temple festivities, like most Bunts settled outside the district do. "On Wednesday, he left home on his routine walk. Somebody called us and told this had happened," said Sandeep, admitting that his brother had made a lot of enemies in the course of his crusade against land scams. Like Satish, his sister Shobha and Sandeep are unmarried, barring elder brother Santosh, an engineer in the Sacrifice won't go in vain: kin Mangalore: Sandeep Shetty is determined not to take his brother's death lying down. "I am going to continue the battle he waged against corruption and goons. I don't know how far I'll succeed, but his sacrifice should not be in vain," said Sandeep. The younger brother of Satish Shetty also smells foul play. "He was supposed to get police protection today (Thursday). This incident, to happen a day before he got protection, shows something is very wrong," said Sandeep to TOI, pointing out that Satish had sought police protection 10 days back. All members of the family, barring elder brother Santosh, live in Talegoan. "We used to talk daily about what Satish's fight will lead to. We never thought it would lead to this (murder), he said still shaken from his brother's death. "I was totally broken yesterday. Today I am starting to realize what my brother stood for. He tried to push the wheel (against corruption etc). My job will be to get it forward. Only when society believes it cannot be threatened by money and muscle power, will democracy survive," he said emotionally. Sandeep says the assailants wanted to send a clear message to people who wanted to follow his path. He did not have many followers as he was incorruptible, noted Sandeep, who is a general manager in a company "He died on the battle front, the only difference being that the enemy was not an external aggressor," said Sandeep. |
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