Dalit RTI activist dies of bullet injury, family alleges murder...

Haridwar: A 50-year-old Dalit RTI activist, Pankaj Lamba who had exposed the SC-ST scholarship scam in Uttarakhand, died of a bullet injury.

The police said that a 16-year-old girl had accidentally fired Pankaj's pistol, leading to his death. But raising suspicions over the death, Pankaj's wife filed a complaint with the police and a case has been registered.

The incident happened at the Tehri Visthapit colony, within the Ranipur police station limits in Uttarakhand, on Friday night. 

Pankaj along with his friends had gone to the girl's house. Pankaj had given one of his two pistols to the girl, assuming that there were no bullets, as per reports.

Pankaj sustained injuries to his chest and was rushed to the hospital but his life could not be saved. 

The girl's sister and Pankaj's friends Manav and Kasim were also at the house.

However, the wife in her complaint alleged that Pankaj was murdered and that Manav and Kasim too had a role in it. Pankaj had reportedly gone to the house on their invitation.

Pankaj Lamba had bought out the scams related to the distribution of SC-ST scholarships in the state. The High Court had intervened in the issue and a special investigation team was formed. College managements and social welfare department officials were arrested. Pankaj had found that of the Rs 7,200 crore allotted during 2011-17, Rs 350 crore was siphoned off.