Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Memorandum submitted to DG, Crime Branch seeking inquiry into murder of Ranjan Das, RTI Activist


 To
The Additional Director General of Police                                            Date- 13.5.20
Crime Branch, Cuttack

Sub- Request for Crime Branch Inquiry into   brutal killing of Ranjan Kumar Das, a Dalit and noted RTI activist of Manikpur village under Patkura Police Station in Kendrapada, Odisha.

Ref. No.-  ( 1) FIR filed   dt. 11.12.19 by Ranjan Kumar Das in Patkura Police Station, Kendrapara
 ( 2)  Complaint   lodged on 31.1.20  by Ranjan Kumar Das in Mahakalapada police , Kendrapara district
(3) FIR filed on 1.2.20 by Balaram Das in Marshaghai Police station  seeking an inquiry  into murder of Ranjan Kumar  Das
 (4) FIR   filed on 13.3.20 in Patkura Police station by Lakhmidhar Das, father of deceased Ranjan Kumar Das
 (5) FIR filed on 16.3.20 in Patkura Police Station by Lakhmidhar Das, father of deceased Ranjan Kumar Das

Dear Sir

I , Sri Lakhmidhar Das, Scheduled Caste , aged  about 65   Village- Manikpur, PS-Patkura, dist-Kendrapara   do seek your   intervention   for undertaking Crime Branch  investigation and stern action against the conspirators and perpetrators of brutal murder of  my son Ranjan Kumar Das,  a  noted RTI activist and anti-corruption activist   in Kendrapada district, Odisha.

1.   As I know, my son Ranjan is a RTI activist  in Kendrapara district. Since his college career, he was involved  in social activities  and rendered  voluntary services  to the poor, destitute  and dalits in the  districts  and also  fighting  for  protection of their rights and entitlements.   He was active in RTI campaign in  Kendrapara district . He had carried out a number of RTI sensitive programme to educate the people  about RTI Act. He  had  personally filed several RTI Applications to different offices  and exposed  corruption  in  construction of RD Road, illegal  construction of  play ground  in his  village,  illegal construction of  OTDC Building  inside Bhirakanika Sanctuary  under Mahakalapada block, illegal prawn cultivation by private  companies, corruption in illegal allotment  of houses  under IAY/ PMAY, Biju Pucca Yojana, Irregularities  in Anganwadi Centres. He  had filed  several  complaints   to State Vigilance, Cuttack and Lokayukta, Odisha.  

2.    On 01.02.2020, in the early morning at 7 am, I heard  from my fellow-villagers about  dead body of my son lying  on the roadside of Berhuan village under Marshagahi Police Station. I rushed  to the spot  and identified my son’s dead body and  his motor-bike   was placed over his upturned upperbody. I also noticed that hundreds of villagers including family relations, friends and colleagues had already gathered there around his dead body.  I suspected it as a cold-blooded murder of my son  by a gang of miscreants However, my son-in-law Sri Balaram Das  filed an FIR on the spot and the Inspector-in-charge  of Marshaghai police station registered  the case No. 24/20 ( Annexture-1).

3. Till yet, the  police has  not  given us the Post-mortem Report nor  appraised us  about progress of  inquiry into murder of my son. We, the family members  suspect nature of the police  and their conspiracy  to cover up  inquiry as many powerful people are behind  murder of my son. Recently,  Balaram Sahu had  filed   in  the  court of District Judge, Kendrapara for certified  copy  of the  Post-mortem report  and found that  the police has not provided  any report.  

4. Sir, It is worth to appraise you   that  on 11.12.19.,  Ranjan  had himself lodged an FIR in Patkura PS  alleging mortal threat to his life along with abusing slang against his Scheduled Caste identity and RTI activism hurled by a particular person and his group vide FIR No. 0379 of 2019 under Sections 294/506 of IPC and Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(va) of the SC and ST (PoA) Act 1989 (Annexture-2). But the police did not take any steps against the culprits.

5.Similarly,    Ranjan    had also filed another complaint in Mahakalapada Police Station on 31.1.20 alleging that Sri Sanjay Rout, village- Shikar under Mahakalapada PS , in his absence entered  his  house on 27.1.20. and took away hard disk, Rs. 15,000.00 and two important files from his house on the plea  of  repair of CCTV  responding query of  his mother.  The police has not registered the case. On same day, Ranjan Das  was murdered  and thrown at roadside of Berhuan village. ( News paper cutting attached as Annex-3).

6. I want it to draw your attention that  earlier my son  Ranjan  had filed   complaint   dt. 15.1.2014  in Marshaghai Police station  against  the accused Bidyadhar Das  having Case  No. 17/14 ps-341,223,294,379,506/34 &sc st..   On 14.2.2008, he had also filed FIR  against  the same accused  in Patkura Police station ( Case No.-25/08-ipc-294,341.323379,506/34 & sc,st).   He  had  also  filed  another complaint dt. 5/10/2014 in Patkura Police station having Case  no-183/14-ipc-341,294,323,379,506/34 sc,st.. The police  had not  taken any step  to conduct  proper  inquiry and legal action against  the accused.

7.  Sir, Ranjan had appraised  me  and my wife several times  about life  threats  from contractors  and Mafias of the area, as  he was  exposing  corruption and  irregularities  in development  work  executed by them. As I recall, in 2014,  during days  of Dasehara, he was severely  attacked  and mercilessly  beaten  by  the  village  goons. The village people had rescued him and accordingly FIR  was lodged in Patakura police station against four persons. But the police did not take any steps. Before  his murder, Ranjan had  filed  RTI applications  in the  office of BDO seeking  information about details of playground  work  undertaken under NREGA  scheme in our village Manikpur,  details of construction of Stadium in front of UCO Bank   and allotment  of 3 houses  to Bibek Jena  in Talasanga Gram panchayat under Biju Pucca  Ghara yojana.  The  villagers  involved  in playground  construction  and  Bibek Jena  have threatened my son  publicly  to withdraw RTI applications. I suspect that they are behind   murder of my son.  

8.On 10.3.20, day  of Holy,  Trilochan Barik, anti-social  of Talasanga  village of Talasanga GP  publicly said  that , we had  murdered Ranjan Das  and  will  murder  another two  of our  village.   A video containing his statement got viral which is   attached as annex-4. On 13.3.20, I filed FIR  in Patkura police station  against Trilochan Barik alleging his involvement  in murder  of  my son. The police has not yet registered the case. 

9. On 15.3.20 at around 10.15 pm, Bibek Jena  of Manikpur  village along with 5 goons shouted  in front of  my home using slang languages and casteist  remarks against  me  and my wife. When I came out from the house, he said  that  we  had  targeted  to murder your son and succeeded. He threatened me to withdraw the  case  otherwise  you will  be murdered.    On 16.3.20.,  I filed  FIR  in Patkura police station against  him. Though the  police  registered  my FIR, but  no inquiry  had been conducted so far. ( FIR attached  as Annexture-5)

10.                  Amidst  threats  of  insecurity  to  me  and my wife who is  a paralysis  patients , we are  looking  for  justice and pursuing the  matter  with  SP, and SDPO, Kendrapara, IIC, Patkura police station  and IIC, Marshaghai police station , but  in vain .   The police   neither  conducts  any  inquiry  nor  appraises  us  about  any development  of inquiry. We have  lost  our  faith  on Kendrapara  police  to get  any justice. ( FIR  attached  as annexture-6)

So, I earnestly  appeal you for  crime branch  inquiry into  murder  of  my son, take  legal action against  all  culprits  involved  in this  murder case  and give me justice.

Thanking  You

Yours Sincerely,
Laxmidhar Das, M- 9668554013
Srikant Pakal
Pratap Mohanty, RTI Activist, Marshaghai, Kendrapara , M-9040222335
Manornaj Jena, Social Activist, Derabishi Block, Kendrapara
Jitendra Sahu, RTI Activist
Pradip Pradhan, M-9937843482

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