Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Two accused arrested in attack on a 10 -year son of RTI Activist

After long fight, two accused were arrested by the police in connection with merciless attack on a 10 year old son of RTI Activist of Kendrapara district, Odisha

On 20.6.16, two accused namely Sri Pravat Kumar Sahu, Chairman, School Management Committee of Udayabata Upper Primary School, Bhagaban Pur and Dipu  Nayak, a criminal of  Kunarapal village,  were arrested and forwarded to jail by  Marshaghai police in connection with merciless attack on a 10 year old son of RTI Activist of Kendrapara district, Odisha. But astonishingly, the police have not been able to arrest 4 to 5 main accused dreaded criminals who had masterminded this attack on Suvam Rout, a 10 year old boy on 10.5.16, when he was asleep in the night.  They have escaped from the area due to negligence of the police to arrest them at the primary stage.

This unfortunate incident has its background. That Sri Kalandi Nayak , a poor villager    of Marshaghai Block of Kendrapara district  who happens  to be member of Udayabata Upper Primary School found  misappropriation of  around Rs. 15 lakh fund in repair of  Udayabata Upper Primary School and mismanagement of  fund for  Mid-Day-Meal by the Head Master of the School, Block Education Officer  and other officials. He  used RTI  extensively  filling series of application to different offices  to unearth  truth and find  out  the  details of  information  about  the fund sanctioned and utilised  along with copy of bill and vouchures by the Head Master  and Chairman, School Management  Committee. With the incomplete  information provided  to him, he filed a number of complaints to  different offices  like  Collector, District Project Coordinator, Kendrapara, Dept. of School  and Mass Education, Govt. of  Odisha and Director, State  Vigilance, Cuttack.       The whole administration including local  political leaders  of ruling party  got disturbed  and tried to convince him to withdraw the application and  complaint petitions. When Sri Kalandi remained determined to pursue the application and also filed first appeal petition   by the PIO, office of Block Education Officer, he received a lot of threats call   of murder from different people.      He has also got the information that a coterie of powerful people including Chairman, Marshaghai Block and Officials and Contractors are getting organised to attack him at anytime. As kalandi remained determined  to fight it out,  the  coterie  of teachers, contractors  and corrupt  officials got  organised and  conspired  to murder  him and his 10 year  old son. On 10.5.16, they entered into his house in mid-night and attacked his son Suvam mercilessly with dreaded weapon. Suvam lost his sense and his head was found bleeding profusely. Besides taking steps to ensure admission of his  severely injured child in hospital, Kalandi filed an FIR in Marshaghai police station (IIC  Mobile No- 9437523699) on 12.5.16.  The Inspector-In-Charge, Marshaghai police station did not take any steps  to investigate  into the matter.    

How the issue got cropped up ?

District Convention  of Odisha Soohana Adhikar Abhijan  was   organised  in Kendrapara on 22.5.16.  All the  RTI Activists of Kendrapara district including Pradip Pradhan, State Convener and Sri Sudhir Mohanty, advocate  and Advisor of OSAA  had participated   in the convention. Getting  the  information about  convention, Sri Kalandi Nayak  joined  in the convention  ad narrated  his story  of  suffering and negligence of police  to arrest  the  culprits. It was   resolved   in the convention to take up the issue  and fight it out at logical end.  The sequence  of events  in respect of  steps  taken  by Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan  to give justice to Kalandi  is as follows.

1. On 25.5.16, a fact-finding  team  comprising Pradip Pradhan, Sudhir Mohanty, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Pratap Sahu, Rohan Mohanty, Debesh Das visited  S.C.B. Medical, Cuttack to  look into  the  health  condition  of Suvam  who was under treatment  in Central ICU. The Team met  HOD, Neurology and Associate Professors and his mother and interacted  with them  about health of the child. The HOD  said  that the child is out of danger and his health condition improving.

2. On 26.5.16, a complaint  case  was filed  by the members of fact-finding to  Acting Chairman, Odisha  Human Rights  Commission, Satyanagar, Bhubaneswar  seeking  immediate  order  to Director General of Police  to enquire into the matter  and to arrest the culprits,  Authority  of S.C.B. Medical  to provide free treatment  to  Suvam and award Rs. 5 lakh  compensation  to  his family for the loss and suffering.    The  Commission immediately registered the case  on same day  ( Registration No. 2114/2016 ) and issued notice to SP, Kendrapara  to enquire  into the matter and submit action taken report  to the commission  within four week. The Superintendent, S.C.B. Medical was instructed  to provide free treatment to the child. The  Commission  has fixed  dated 4.7.16  for  hearing of the case.

3. Finding  no visible progress into  investigation, a team of RTI Activists and concerned  citizens met  District Collector  and SP, Kendrapara on 29.6.16  and submitted  memorandum   demanding to  arrest the culprits immediately.

4. On 8.6.16, Mass Rally  and demonstration was organised  in Kedrapara  district  headquarter  with participation of  hundreds of Activists   condemning  police inaction and allous attitude  of  district  administration to arrest the   culprits  due to  political pressure and demanding  immediate arrest of the culprits. The rally  was led by Pradip Pradhan and Ranjan Kumar Das, District Convener, OSAA. The  Activists  held  day-long Dharana  in front of office of Collector,  Kendrapara and submitted memorandum  to  taken action against  IIC, Marshaghai   for hobnobbing with  accused.

5. On 22.6.16,  a  5-member  delegation  of RTI Activists of OSAA  Sri Pradip Pradhan, Sri Rohan Mohanty, Sri Sudhir Mohanty, Sri Sudhir Rout, Sri Ranjan Kumar Das submitted  memorandum  to Director General of Police, Cuttack highlighting  nexus of police  with criminals in Kendrapara district, sabotaging  the investigation  by the police  and demanding  immediate arrest of the  culprit.          

Pradip Pradhan


M-9937843482 

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