In yet another case of whistle-blowers being intimidated by mafia groups, Mahesh Vijayan, an RTI activist, who fights against illegal soil mining in the district, was attacked by a four member-gang on Tuesday night at his residence at Nattassery near here.

Mahesh was earlier attacked on the premises of the Kottayam municipal office on January 22, by some sand mining contractors, injuring him seriously. Later, Mahesh was threatened by another contractor over phone for moving against illegal sand mining in the district.

In a complaint filed at the Gandhi Nagar police station, Mahesh said the gangsters arrived at his house around 8 pm on Tuesday in a car, which was registered in the name of K S Ajayan, one of the accused who had attacked him at the Kottayam municipal office. “They asked me to come out of the house to discuss something. Sensing something was wrong I stayed on the veranda of my house. When they came to me and attacked me with hockey sticks and iron rods, I ran inside and closed the door. However, they tried to break open the door, but withdrew from the attempt when my mother and wife screamed for help,” Mahesh told TNIE.

Mahesh added that the miscreants came in a car bearing registration number KL-05-AU-6003 and he filed the complaint along with such details.

Gandhi Nagar station house officer Cletus K Joseph confirmed that police have prepared an FIR based on the complaint lodged by Mahesh and an investigation has been started. Mahesh said he was attacked for trying to prevent illegal sand mining.