The Odisha Information Commission has taken the unprecedented step of approaching the state police, seeking a criminal investigation into an alleged extortion racket run by a Right to Information (RTI) activist. The commission alleges that the activist, identified as Tankadhar Sahu from Balangir, habitually filed hundreds of RTI queries only to later demand bribes from public officials to withdraw them.
The Alleged Extortion Modus Operandi
According to officials, the commission received a formal complaint last week, which included a video clip as evidence. The video allegedly shows Sahu demanding money from Public Information Officers (PIOs) and First Appellate Authorities. His reported method was systematic: he would file a large volume of RTI applications across various departments, attend hearings at the commission's office in Bhubaneswar, and then seek adjournments. After allegedly receiving illicit payments from the concerned officials, he would withdraw the cases.
A senior officer stated that Sahu had filed hundreds of RTI applications currently at different stages of adjudication. He had reportedly started camping in the state capital to regularly approach officials visiting the commission for hearings.
Commission's Decisive Action and Directives
The matter was placed before the full bench of the Information Commission, which decided to refer it to the police. The Registrar of the commission wrote to the Odisha Director General of Police on January 7, 2026, requesting a probe and submitting the video evidence.
In a significant move, the commission has decided to keep all of Tankadhar Sahu's pending RTI cases in abeyance until the police inquiry is completed. It has further directed all PIOs and First Appellate Authorities across the state to identify and similarly stall his cases, and to flag any other instances where provisions of the RTI Act might have been similarly misused.
Police Probe and Implications
Police sources have confirmed that a formal complaint will be registered based on the commission's letter, and an investigation will be initiated promptly. The case highlights a rare instance of an RTI applicant being accused of exploiting the transparency law for personal gain, rather than using it as a tool for public accountability.
Sahu could not be reached for his comments on the allegations. The commission's firm action underscores its intent to safeguard the integrity of the RTI process from such alleged malpractices, ensuring the landmark act is not weaponized for extortion.
