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{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Satish Shetty
| birth_date = {{birth date|1970|07|21}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|01|13|1970|07|21}}
| death_cause = [[murder]]
}}

'''Satish Shetty''' (21 July 1970 – 13 January 2010), popularly known as "Satish", was an Indian social activist, noted for exposing many land scams in [[Maharashtra]]. He had used the [[Right to Information Act]] to expose irregularities in Government offices in the last five years. He was killed on 13 January 2010, by unknown attackers in [[Talegaon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/Whistleblower-RTI-activist-Satish-Shetty-killed/article16837452.ece|title=Whistleblower RTI activist Satish Shetty killed|date=13 January 2010|access-date=7 November 2021|website=Thehindu.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/RTI-activist-Satish-Shetty-killed-near-Pune-/articleshow/5440198.cms|title=RTI activist Satish Shetty killed near Pune|website=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com|access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref>

==Background and killing==
In recent years, Shetty had used the [[RTI Act]] to expose large scale land scams involving the leading real estate firm [[IRB Infrastructure]] and its subsidiary Aryan. In 2009, he filed a complaint that forged documents had been used by these firms to acquire large swathes of land in the Taje and Pimploli villages off the Pune-Mumbai highway.<ref name=scrap>
{{cite news
| title = After activist's murder, IRB 'scrapped' township project
| publisher = Indian Express
| url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/after-activist-s-murder-irb--scrapped--township-project/1021761/
| date = 25 October 2012
}}</ref> After investigations, 90 sale deeds were cancelled,<ref name=scrap/> and sub-registrar Ashwini Kshirsagar was suspended.<ref name=dna>
{{cite news
| title = RTI activist hacked to death by Pune goons
| author = Prashant Aher
| publisher = DNA India
| url = http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-rti-activist-hacked-to-death-by-pune-goons-1334538
| date = 14 January 2010
}}</ref> The company blamed land brokers for the irregularities,<ref name=fp>
{{cite news
| title = IRB scraps township project off Mumbai-Pune E-way
| author = Abhay Vaidya
| publisher = Firstpost India
| url = http://www.firstpost.com/india/irb-scraps-township-project-off-mumbai-pune-e-way-319027.html
| date = 23 May 2012
}}</ref> and the planned IRB township project was eventually scrapped.

After this episode, Shetty started getting threat calls. In November 2009, he filed a request with the Pune rural police seeking protection.<ref name=prot/> In the request, he said that he had been receiving threats allegedly originating with Virendra Mhaiskar,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rti-activist-satish-shetty-murder-case-cbi-searches-irb-premises/303498-37.html|title=RTI activist Satish Shetty murder case: CBI searches IRB premises - IBNLive|date=24 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524031611/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rti-activist-satish-shetty-murder-case-cbi-searches-irb-premises/303498-37.html|access-date=7 November 2021|archive-date=24 May 2014}}</ref> chairman of IRB Infrastructure. Protection was not granted.<ref name=prot>
{{cite news
| title = Cop who probed Pune RTI activist's murder grilled
| publisher = Times of India
| url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Cop-who-probed-Pune-RTI-activists-murder-grilled/articleshow/13712599.cms
| date = 2 June 2012
}}</ref>

In January 2010, Shetty was knifed by several people while he was at a kiosk reading a paper after his morning walk.<ref name="dna"/>

The subsequent police investigations proposed a different theory for the murder, ignoring the IRB infrastructure association.<ref>
{{cite news
| title = CBI: Startling findings in Pune RTI activist murder
| author = Chaitraly Deshmukh
| publisher = DNA India
| url = http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-cbi-startling-findings-in-pune-rti-activist-murder-1778326
| date = 17 December 2012
}}Quote:
While granting bail to Waghmore for Rs 25,000, the court observed, "In spite of the fact that Sandip Shetty, in his affidavit, had said that the dispute between Satish and Dabhade was settled over a year before he was killed, the investigation continued in the same direction."</ref> Eventually the case was transferred to the CBI.

In October 2012, CBI raided the offices of [[IRB Infrastructure]]
<ref>
{{cite news
| title = CBI raids at IRB Infra premises over RTI activist murder
| work = The Hindu
| url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/cbi-raids-at-irb-infra-premises-over-rti-activist-murder/article4057985.ece
| date = 2 November 2012
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rti-activist-satish-shetty-murder-case-cbi-searches-irb-premises/303498-3-237.html|title=RTI activist Satish Shetty murder case: CBI searches IRB premises- Maharashtra- IBNLive|date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114044212/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rti-activist-satish-shetty-murder-case-cbi-searches-irb-premises/303498-3-237.html|access-date=7 November 2021|archive-date=14 November 2012}}</ref> and that of IRB advocate Ajit Kulkarni.<ref>
{{cite news
| title = CBI raids IRB chief's aide in murder probe
| author = AADITI JATHAR LAKADE
| publisher = Indian Express
| url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/cbi-raids-irb-chief-s-aide-in-murder-probe/1021256/
| date = 24 October 2012
}}</ref> In January 2013, CBI obtained permission to conduct polygaph tests on Mhaiskar, his attorney Kulkarni, and eight others,<ref>
{{cite news
| title = Satish Shetty case: CBI gets permission to conduct polygraph test on 10 more persons
| author =
| publisher = Indian Express
| url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/satish-shetty-case-cbi-gets-permission-to-conduct-polygraph-test-on-10-more-persons/1139831/
| date = 10 July 2013
}}</ref> leading to a 15% drop in the company's share price.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/business/irb-infra-shares-plunge-15-as-director-faces-polygraph-test-in-murder-case-303344|title=IRB Infra shares plunge 15% as director faces polygraph test in murder case|website=NDTV.com}}</ref> Stocks regained 3% after it was said that the polygraph tests of Mhaiskar may not have revealed any incriminating aspects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/|title=Business News Today: Read Latest Business news, India Business News Live, Share Market & Economy News|website=The Economic Times}}</ref>

==Recognition==
He was given posthumously the Sajag Nagrik Award, which was received by his brother Sandeep at a function held in [[Pune]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-08/pune/28147339_1_rti-activists-satish-shetty-posthumously|title=Satish Shetty awarded posthumously - Times Of India|date=26 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926000914/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-08/pune/28147339_1_rti-activists-satish-shetty-posthumously|access-date=7 November 2021|archive-date=26 September 2012}}</ref>

National RTI Forum has honoured his martyrdom by naming an award after him as Satish Shetty RTI Gallantry award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/59726-gallantry-award-named-after-rti-activist-satish-shetty.html|title=Gallantry award named after RTI activist Satish Shetty|website=Rtiindia.org|access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref>

In 2011 he was posthumously awarded the [[NDTV Indian of the Year]]'s [[Life Insurance Corporation of India|LIC]] Unsung Hero of the Year Award with other [[Right to Information Act, 2005|RTI]] activists [[Amit Jethwa]], Dattatreya Patil, Vishram Dodiya and Vitthal Gite<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ndtv-indian-of-the-year-2011-142183 |title=NDTV Indian of the Year 2011|website=Ndtv.com |access-date=19 October 2011}}</ref>

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shetty, Satish}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Right to Information activists]]
[[Category:People murdered in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian whistleblowers]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:2010 crimes in India]]
[[Category:2010 murders in Asia]]
[[Category:2010s murders in India]]

Satish Shetty - Revision history

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