Death of Shehla Masood - Revision history

imported>Psubhashish: Psubhashish moved page Death of Shehla Masood to Shehla Masood over redirect: This article should be about Shehla Masood

2021-08-31T05:07:13Z

Psubhashish moved page Death of Shehla Masood to Shehla Masood over redirect: This article should be about Shehla Masood

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
+#REDIRECT [[Shehla Masood]]
-{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
-{{Infobox person
+{{Redirect category shell|
-| name = Shehla Masood
+{{R from move}}
 }}

>Scorpions13256: Removing from Category:20th-century Indian writers using Cat-a-lot

2021-07-10T04:19:13Z

Removing from Category:20th-century Indian writers using Cat-a-lot

New page

{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Shehla Masood
| image =
| imagesize =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1973
| birth_place =
| residence =
| death_date = 2011 (aged 38)
| death_place = [[Bhopal]], MadhyaPradesh, India
| occupation = environmentalist, RTI activist
| nationality = Indian
| salary =
| networth =
| yearsactive=
| website =
}}

'''Shehla Masood''' (1973–2011) was an Indian environmentalist, wildlife and [[Right to Information Act, 2005|Right to Information]] activist. She was shot dead around 11:19 AM on 16 August 2011 in front of her house in [[Bhopal]] while she was sitting in her car, by three persons who were hired by a local female interior designer. Crime Patrol Dial 100 aired episode 735 based on the case.<ref name=a>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120302020548/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/slain-rti-activist-shehla-masoods-last-tweets/176137-3.html Slain RTI activist Shehla Masood's last tweets]</ref><ref name=b>[http://www.moneylife.in/article/rti-activist-shehla-masood-shot-dead-in-broad-daylight-on-way-to-rally-for-anna-hazare/18973.html RTI activist Shehla Masood shot dead in broad daylight on way to rally for Anna Hazare]</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|author=Neeraj Chauhan, TNN 3 March 2012, 01.40AM IST |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RTI-activist-Shehla-Masood-may-have-been-killed-for-closeness-to-BJP-MLA/articleshow/12116535.cms |title=RTI activist Shehla Masood may have been killed for closeness to BJP MLA – Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=3 March 2012 |accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref>

==Social activist==
Masood was an activist working primarily on wildlife conservation, and also supported other causes like good governance, [[Right to Information Act, 2005|RTI Act]], Police reforms, environment, women's rights & issues and transparency. She sat on a fast in support of [[Anna Hazare]]'s [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|''India Against Corruption'']] campaign. She was actively involved in raising issues related to the deaths of tigers in the various sanctuaries of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. Shehla herself was working for the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Trust, organising events for them from Srinagar to Kolkata to Delhi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shehla-sought-rti-on-bjp-mps-rss-backed-trust/181025-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017122019/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shehla-sought-rti-on-bjp-mps-rss-backed-trust/181025-3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2012 |title=Shehla sought RTI on BJP MPs, RSS backed trust – India News |publisher=[[IBNLive]] |date=3 September 2011 |accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref> She had asked for details about Narmada Samagraha, an NGO backed by the BJP Rajya Sabha MP. She was about to leave for Boat Club in [[Bhopal]] to join the [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|anti-government protest]] to bring the [[Jan Lokpal Bill]] when she was killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/shehlamasood|title=Shehlamasood|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref> She co-founded RTI Anonymous,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://getup4change.org/rti |title=RTI Anonymous | File Anonymous Right to Information Applications in India |publisher=Getup4change.org |date= |accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref> a service for whistle blowers for filing anonymous Right to Information (RTI) Applications with Indian Government departments without getting victimised, with her friends just a few days before her death.<ref>[http://dekhobhopal.com/transparent-india/shehla-masood-the-soldier-of-truth/ Shehla Masood: The Soldier of Truth]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Shehla Masood was posthumously awarded the award for her relentless effort under the category, 'Crusade Against Corruption'.

==Professional life==
She was the secretary of NGO ''Udai''<ref name=d/><ref name=g/> and was the CEO of a company called 'Miracles' which was involved in "Events and Media related services", according to her [https://archive.today/20121130104230/http://in.linkedin.com/pub/shehla-masood/5/684/602 public Linked profile]. NGO Udai was created in 2004, it recently ventured into tiger and forest conservation.<ref name=d/>

==Assassination==
Masood was constantly living under threat, as revealed by her in an interview before she was shot dead.<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?278128 “I Fear For My Life, But I’ll Go On”]</ref>

On 16 August 2011 at around 11:19 AM, she was shot by an unidentified assailant from point blank range. Masood was about to leave in her car when she was shot in the driver's seat.

According to Police, the motive of the killing remains unknown. However, as per media, the possible cause could be her [[Right to Information Act|RTI]] activities and for protesting illegal diamond mining done by [[Rio Tinto Group|Rio Tinto]] in connivance with government officers and fighting to save tigers, leopards and forests, who were killed for their skins in connivance with forest officers<ref name=d>[http://www.sunday-guardian.com/investigation/courageous-shehla-met-crusaders-fate Courageous Shehla met crusader’s fate]</ref><ref name=g>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120901025934/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mystery-behind-shehla-masoods-murder-deepens/177484-3.html Mystery behind Shehla Masood's murder deepens]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120926000739/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-16/nagpur/29892044_1_diamond-mining-mining-activity-rio-tinto Was Shehla shot for fighting illegal diamond mines?]</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bali |first=Kamayani |url=http://infochangeindia.org/right-to-information/changemaker/shehla-masood-fighter-till-the-end.html |title=Shehla Masood: Fighter till the end | Changemaker | Right to information | Governance |publisher=Infochangeindia.org |date= |accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref>

In an indication of the seriousness of this high-profile murder, for which no arrests were made in the initial days, the Government of [[Madhya Pradesh]] transferred the case to the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]]. The CBI called a forensic team headed by Professor [[Tirath Das Dogra|T D Dogra]] and Rajinder Singh, Director CFSL Delhi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/shehla-murder-case-aiims-forensic-team-to-visit-bhopal/898047|title=Shehla murder case: AIIMS forensic team to visit Bhopal|publisher=The Indian Express|location=New Delhi |date=10 January 2012|accessdate=1 March 2013}}</ref>
On 28 February 2012 [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] claims to have cracked the case and arrested a Bhopal-based interior designer Mrs Zahida Parvez and three accomplices who were hired to kill Masood. The interior designer's employee and friend who presumably had information about the murder plan was arrested on 2 March 2012. The interior designer had given the contract to Bhopal-based criminal Saqib 'Danger', known for his connections with the local BJP party in Madhya Pradesh, who further contracted it to Tabish (his cousin) based in Kanpur. The vehicle used in the getaway has been found.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shehla-case-car-used-on-the-day-of-murder-found/235844-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306045142/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shehla-case-car-used-on-the-day-of-murder-found/235844-3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 March 2012 |title=Shehla Masood murder case: Car used on the day of murder found – India News – IBNLive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date= |accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/shehla-masood-murder-cbi-suspects-role-of-bjp-mla-180973 |title=Shehla Masood murder: CBI suspects role of BJP MLA |publisher=NDTV.com |date=29 February 2012 |accessdate=15 September 2012}}</ref>
One of the accused arrested named Irfan had said that he did not shoot Masood but his colleague Shanu did. However, further investigation revealed when cousin of Bhopal builder Saqib 'Danger' Tabish was arrested that Shanu did not shoot Masood it was Irfan who did. Zahida and Irfan have recorded their statements in front of the CBI Magistrate. Meanwhile, the murder weapon has been found and has been sent for forensic testing.
The motive behind the murder as pointed by the CBI is Zahida was obsessed and very close with a Bhopal BJP [MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh], Zahida was very disturbed with the closeness of Shehla Masood and BJP MLA. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130905021652/http://dhruvsingh.net/AboutDhruv.asp]. Zahida decided to eliminate Masood. Some of the diary contents recovered by the CBI from Zahida's office reveal this motive. Nothing in support of the assumption has been found. Polygraph tests are being conducted on few accused and the MLA however results are yet to be known. Later CBI gives clean chit to BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh due to lack of evidence against him.[https://m.hindustantimes.com/indore/mp-cbi-gives-clean-chit-to-dhruv-narayan-in-shehla-murder-case/story-qyWBZ1MByODyum4ns6B3tJ.html]

== Trial ==
On 28 January 2017, CBI court in Bhopal convicted four people for murder and criminal conspiracy for the murder of Masood. Another accused was pardoned because he turned approver.<ref>{{cite news|title=Zahida Pervez, three others convicted in Shehla Masood murder case|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Zahida-Pervez-three-others-convicted-in-Shehla-Masood-murder-case/article17107998.ece|work=The Hindu|date=28 January 2017|language=en-IN}}</ref>

== Awards ==
Masood was posthumously awarded with the SR Jindal “Crusade Against Corruption”<ref>{{cite news|title=Politics or Love? Decoding Activist Shehla Masood's Murder Mystery|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/politics-love-decoding-rti-activist-shehla-masood-murder-bhopal-dhruv-narayan-singh-bjp-zahida-parvez-illegal-mining|work=The Quint|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Attacks on RTI Activist in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anna-supporter-and-rti-activist-shehla-masood-shot-dead-in-bhopal/832621/1 Anna Supporter and RTI activist Shehla Masood shot dead in Bhopal]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111122174522/http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/south-asia/what-really-happened-to-shehla-masood What really happened to Shehla Masood?]
*{{cite web |url=http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5884289#page=2 |title=Shehla Masood case: Woman interior designer, contract killer held |publisher=News.in.msn.com |date=29 February 2012 |accessdate=15 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302180106/http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5884289#page=2 |archive-date=2 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masood, Shehla}}
[[Category:Indian women social workers]]
[[Category:Assassinated Indian people]]
[[Category:People murdered in India]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Bhopal]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in India]]
[[Category:Indian environmentalists]]
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Indian whistleblowers]]
[[Category:Environmental killings]]
[[Category:Women writers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:Indian women environmentalists]]
[[Category:Activists from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Social workers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Women educators from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Educators from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]