A Pune RTI activist was allegedly assaulted inside a room at the District Collector’s Office after seeking information related to quarry royalties, according to a report by Civic Mirror – Pune. The allegation has not been independently confirmed, and details of any police complaint, CCTV findings or official inquiry were not available in the supplied report.
The activist, identified as Sunil Raghunath Gujar, reportedly went to Bund Garden police station with other RTI activists to submit a complaint. The information was provided to the media by an associate of Gujar, who requested that their name not be disclosed, the report said.
According to the account attributed to Gujar’s associate, the incident took place during the day after Gujar obtained information under the Right to Information Act concerning quarries, crushers and royalty transactions allegedly linked to MLA Sunil Shelke. The report did not provide the names of the alleged assailants or specify how Gujar was taken into the room, how long he was allegedly detained or whether medical records had been submitted.
The report said police were attempting to obtain CCTV footage from the premises to establish what happened. Since the alleged incident occurred within a government office, the availability and examination of surveillance footage could be important to determining whether an assault took place and identifying those involved. No official police statement confirming the incident was included in the supplied material.
Gujar and people associated with him have also made allegations concerning royalty payments from mining operations and transactions involving the exchange of land belonging to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. They have claimed that irregularities occurred in these matters and that administrative officials were pressured to prevent action. These allegations have not been established in the supplied report and should not be treated as confirmed findings.
The group associated with Gujar further claimed that excavation was continuing at some quarries and crushers said to be linked to Shelke. The report did not provide royalty records, land documents, inspection reports, regulatory orders or other documentary evidence supporting those claims. It also did not state whether any department had opened a formal investigation into the alleged royalty or land transactions.
The episode places attention on the practical conditions under which citizens and activists seek records from public authorities. District Collector’s Offices handle applications, administrative records and interactions involving multiple departments, making access, surveillance and complaint procedures relevant to accountability when an alleged incident occurs on the premises. In this case, however, the available information does not establish whether the alleged assault occurred or whether it was connected to Gujar’s RTI activity.
Civic Mirror – Pune reported that an independent official confirmation of the assault, details of the complaint and a response from MLA Sunil Shelke were unavailable. The police examination of CCTV footage and any subsequent complaint or inquiry will be necessary to clarify the incident and the allegations surrounding the quarry royalty and land transactions.
