19 Facts About Amit Jethwa

Amit Jethwa was an Indian environmentalist and social worker, active in the Gir Forest area near Junagadh, Gujarat.

Amit Jethwa had filed several court cases against illegal mining in the protected area, naming Dinu Solanki as one of the respondents.

Amit Jethwa was instrumental in the five-year jail term of Bollywood actor Salman Khan for shooting an endangered Chinkara deer, a case that concluded after being pursued by activists for eight years.

Amit Jethwa highlighted the use of a Chinkara deer in a scene in the movie Lagaan and opposed a Bhuj court decision which stayed an inquiry against the actor-director Aamir Khan.

Amit Jethwa campaigned vigorously against corruption among officers of the Indian Forest Service, and opposed malafide application of article 356 of the.

Amit Jethwa later campaigned against shifting of lions to the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Amit Jethwa's efforts were often blocked by forest officials by charging him with offenses such as photographing a dead lion and trespassing.

In 2007, Amit Jethwa contested the state assembly elections, but lost.

In 2008, Amit Jethwa pursued the Right to Information Act for addressing grievances, and conducted workshops on the procedure to file requests under RTI to prevent corrupt practices and other mal-administration.

In 2010, Amit Jethwa had filed a PIL petition questioning the state government's "inaction" over the appointment of a Lokayukta.

Amit Jethwa had spearheaded the campaign against rising case pendency in the Gujarat Information Commission due to lack of commissioners.

Amit Jethwa again came to the rescue of thousands of RTI users by filing a writ petition in the HC and made the government accept Indian Postal Order as one of the modes of payment to deposit fees while filing of RTI applications.

Since 2008, Amit Jethwa had filed six requests under the Right to Information Act, probing the activities of an illegal mining lobby operating in the protected forest area just outside the Gir Forest National Park.

At the time, Amit Jethwa was badly beaten up by goons, allegedly sent by Solanki.

Amit Jethwa sought directives from the court for stopping power supply to all such mining centers.

Amit Jethwa appealed that the matter be investigated by an independent ombudsman or Lokayukta, a constitutional position that had been lying vacant in Gujarat since 2003.

Amit Jethwa had recently moved court to seek a judicial order to the state government to fill this post.

Amit Jethwa's family has alleged that he was under constant threat from Dinu Solanki for interfering with the powerful and illegal mining lobby in Saurashtra.

Amit Jethwa had recently filed an affidavit at the Kodinar police station seeking protection and stating that he would be killed by Solanki.