A Right to Information (RTI) activist of Hajipur earned the wrath of a mukhiya (panchayat head) in Vaishali district for exposing the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the development schemes and appointment of teachers in the government-run-primary schools.

The henchmen of the mukhiya, Chhotelal Mahto, on Wednesday allegedly ransacked the house of the RTI activist, Satish Kumar Singh, at Kasturisarai village under the jurisdiction of Patepur police station in Vaishali district. They damaged glasses and furniture of Singh's house, around 70km north of Patna.

Singh, who was earlier threatened by the mukhiya, said the CCTV installed at his ancestral house was damaged in the attack. The footage retrieved from the damaged gizmo showed the supporters and sons of the mukhiya pelting stones.

"I immediately informed the superintendent of police over phone and sought protection," the RTI activist told The Telegraph.

He alleged that the Patepur police station officers refused to entertain his complaint allegedly under the influence of the mukhiya, enjoying the support of a senior leader of the ruling JDU. "Property of around Rs 2 lakh was damaged in the attack," Singh, born in the 1976, said.

The RTI activist alleged that the mukhiya had been after him since he (Singh) sought information under the RTI Act about the appointment of his daughter-in-law, Kumari Pinki, as a teacher under the Dadhua panchayat. Besides Kumari Pinki, Sanjeet Kumar - one of the sons of the mukhiya -had also been appointed as a teacher in gross violation of the prescribed rules.

According to Singh, the matter related to the alleged illegal appointment is under the consideration of the appellate authority. "Infuriated over it, the mukhiya plotted the attack on my house to eliminate me," Singh said.

The Patepur police station house officer (SHO), Chandan Kumar, said the mukhiya's daughter-in-law, Kumari Pinki, had lodged a complaint against Singh. He claimed that he had sent a police team to Kasturisarai village, around 10km from the Patepur block headquarters, to inquire into the attack on RTI the activist's house. "It is true that the glasses of the building had been damaged in stone pelting," he said but rubbished the allegation that he refused to entertain Singh's complaint.

"I contacted him (Singh) on his cellphone and requested him to come to the police station to get his complaint lodged. But he never turned up," the SHO said. He claimed that Singh had criminal antecedents and was earlier sent to jail in a murder case.

The RTI activist, on the other hand, said the mukhiya had amassed huge property plundering government funds.

Sources said Singh had a heated argument with Kumari Pinki's husband when a senior officer of the education department had visited the school last week to inquire into the allegations of illegal appointment.

Mahto, the mukhiya, had been representing the panchayat for the past 30 years. He was not available for comments.