Note
on Recent Trend of Attack on RTI Activists in Odisha and failure of police to
arrest the culprits
Human Rights
Activists and RTI Activists are seen quite vulnerable in Odisha. The trend of
brutal attack on RTI Activists, Human Rights Activists and their family members
is rising day by day. RTI Activists are always seen at loggerheads with the
State administration; corrupt Govt. officials, land mafia, contractors while
exposing about corruption, irregularities in Govt. programme,
maladministration, favouritism and manipulation in Govt. appointment,
malpractice in procurement etc.
Irregularities and illegalities in allotment of land /plot to
politicians, bureaucrats, private educational institutions like KIIT, Jagatguru
Krupalu Yoga Trust, Sri Sri Rabi Shankar
University, Ma Ambruta Mayee Devi
Trust by General Administration
Department, BDA, CDA, Odisha State Housing Board, IDCO, Illegalities in
allotment of mining operation to the companies, pendency of crores of rupees of water tax and electricity
tax against companies, illegal closure
of SIET and OKCL ghotala, illegal occupation of Govt. quarters by former MLAs
and Ministers and ex-Govt. employees for years together, black-marketing and
adulteration of food items allotted under ICDS, MDM, NREGA Scam, irregularities
and corruption in distribution of PDS items
and many other scam has been exposed
by RTI Activists in the state
within period of ten years. This expose
has not only put the Govt. in trouble but has brought to limelight the true
character of so-called eminent people of society and their crime. Armed with
information obtained through RTI, Human
Rights Activists have taken up various issues by approaching High Courts, Human
Rights Commissions, Central Vigilance Commission, CBI and Tribunals like
National Green Tribunal seeking justice.
The recent order of National Green Tribunal to Govt. of Odisha to get
returned back of 18 acres of forest land illegally acquired by KIIT is one of
the best success stories of intervention of Human Rights Activists.
The
continuous and constant endeavour of Human Rights Activists and RTI Activists
to fight out corruption and maladministration has endangered their life in face
of systematic and organised attack of coterie of powerful politicians,
bureaucrats and mafias. Within last ten years, Odisha has witnessed brutal
attack on 50 Activists and murder of two RTI Activists and many more beaten up
severely, harassed, tortured which has gone unnoticed. In the absence of effective legal mechanism
to take prompt action against the culprits and criminal, the RTI Activists and
their families remained quite vulnerable in the state. The policy
investigations into any allegation of violation of Human Rights Activists are
seen far from satisfaction.
Few recent
case studies about Attack on RTI Activists and helplessness of police to arrest
the culprit is as follows.
1.
On 24.4.17, Sri Subas Mohapara, RTI Activist who was
returning to his home in the
evening was stopped
by a gang of byke-borne miscreants
at Khandagiri square and
threatened to be murdered AT GUNPOINT, if he pursues
case against Achyut Samant of
KIIT, Patia, Bhubaneswar. He filed the FIR
same day in Khandagiri police station accusing Achyut Samant
behind this threats . No
investigation against Achyut Samant is
yet done by the police.
2.
On 3.5.17 at around 8.45 pm, a miscreant
threw petrol on sister of Pradip Pradhan, State Convener of Odisha Soochana
Adhikar Abhijan in front of his residence, Maitree Vihar, Bhubaneswar and ran
away. Immediately, Sri Pradhan lodged complaint in Maitree Vihar Police post
which is 50 meters away from his residence coming under jurisdiction of
Chadrasekhar Pur police station. The police
received the complaint, registered the case as PS Case No.161 dt. 3.5.2017
U/s 448/326/506 IPC and started investigation on same day. Though
twelve days passed, the Police has not yet been able to arrest the culprit. However,
the police has provided police
protection to FAMILY of Pradip Pradhan.
3.
Mr. Sankar
Panigrahi, permanent resident of Radharani Pada
At-Hospital road, near mausi mandir,Po/Dist-Balangir is engaged in motivating
youth in his district to undertake developmental work and also encourages and
teaches them to use Right to Information Act to seek information regarding the
ongoing developmental work.He is an active member of an unregistered RTI network,
namely Odisha Soochana Adikar Abhiyan (OSAA) involved in exposing cases of
corruption in government funds earmarked for the implementation of social
welfare schemes in Odisha. Mr. Sankar
Panigrahi, had posted in social media (facebook) on date May 9, 2017, “GO BACK
NARYAN NAIK”. On May 10, 2017, at about 8.02 PM he received a call from a
mobile number +91-7682955014. Without
saying anything, the caller started abusing him in filthy language and
threatened to kill him in an encounter and rape his wife. Mr. Panigrahi had
recorded this conversation. On 12.5.17, Sankar
filed FIR in
Bolangir police station seeking
investigation into the matter. The
Bolagir Sadar police station registered
FIR no. 0155(IPC-506,507) dt. 15.5.17 and the investigation is going on.
4.
12.5.17, Sri Keshab Mahakud,
physically challenged and RTI Activist
of Nayagarh district had come to
Bhubaneswar to file complaint
to Sri Bijayshree Routray,
Minister for Forest and Environment,
Govt. of Odisha about huge
corruption in Forest Dept. under DFO, Nayagarh. He met
Minister in his residence in the
evening and appraised him about corruption.
While he was on his way to Baramunda by autorickshaw, he was intercepted
by a gang of hooligans at Vanivihar
square. He was mercilessly beaten
up by them. Then he went to Saheed Nagar police station at around 9 pm and lodged complaint. The
concerned police asked him to come to police station in the next
day. On
13.5.17, the police registered his case
and started investigation.
Nothing has happened till yet. He
had filed RTI to office of DFO, Nayagarh to expose corruption worth crore of
rupees by forest officials in collusion with local BJD leaders. He was
threatened to be murdered by DFO, Nayagarh few days back. The case has been filed in National Human
Rights Commission with case no. 2552/18/28/2017. It deserves to be mentioned
here that last year, Sri Mahakud, a Disable person was seriously beaten up and
hospitalised for a month in S.C.B.Medical, Cuttack for treatment.
5.
On 16.6.16, at 11.45 am, Sri Priyabrata Gadnaik, RTI
Activist was attacked a gang of 6 hooligans
on Kaunriapala river bridge of National Highway 55 of
Dhenkanal district . he was forced to jump to river bed and his leg and hand
got featured. He was rescued by Ambulance.
Though FIR was lodged in Dhenkanal Sadar police station registered case no. 251/2016, the police has not yet
been able to arrest the culprits. Rather the police helped them to get
bail. On day of attack, Sri Priyabrata
was returning from Odapada Tahasil after attending hearing of his first appeal
petition filed before Tahasildar on denial of information about the PIO. The
information sought for was about details
of stone query leased out to the
contractors, revenue collected , illegal stone query operated and action taken.
Sri Priyabrata is still fighting for justice.
Note prepared
by
Srikant Pakal
M- 9338455092
Date-17.5.17
No comments:
Post a Comment