A 51-year-old Right to Information activist was hacked to death near his residence here by unidentified assailants, police said on Wednesday.

They said two men who came on a bike attacked Vinayak Baliga with sharp weapons as he was about to leave for his routine morning walk on Tuesay.

He had more than 17 stab injuries on his body,police said.

The attackers escaped before one of his neighbours could come to his rescue hearing the screams.

A CCTV camera in a nearby office captured the image of two men entering the lane on a two-wheeler, but the visuals were not clear, police said.

Baliga, an electrical contractor, had successfully sought out more than 90 RTIs, particularly helping the government in tracing electricity theft in the city.

He had also helped several poor families in the city, who were deprived of their rights.

Baliga, who was a bachelor, was living with his parents and three sisters.