NHRC Notice to State on Dalit Youth Torture Case
BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has slapped a show-cause notice on Odisha Government asking it to explain why compensation should not be provided to a Dalit youth who was subjected to police excesses which led to the violation of his human rights last year. The rights panel has asked Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra to submit a reply within six weeks.
The order was issued based on the complaint filed by Executive Director of Global Human Rights Communications, Dr Subash Mohapatra, against the torture and harassment of Baisnaba Sethi, a Scheduled Caste youth of Angul’s Kadalimunda.
Sethi, according to the petition, was on his way with his friend to board a bus at Rengalbeda under Riamal police limits on the night of August 29, 2013. At that time, a police party including SIs Dillip Kumar Sahu and Chita Ranjan Behera were making a surprise check to arrest smugglers of cannabis.
The police officers asked Sethi, who was driving the motorcycle with his friend on the pillion, to stop but he did not and moved a little ahead. Sahu rushed to him and snatched his driving licence. Following an altercation, he started to assault Sethi. He asked Sethi to come to Riamal police station and collect his driving licence.
Based on the complaint of Sethi, a case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against Sahu and medical examination corroborated the assault leading to injury. After investigation, while it was found that Sethi was not implicated in any case of cannabis smuggling, Sahu was placed under suspension and a criminal case initiated against him.
Besides the Chief Secretary, the Commission has also asked Deogarh SP to submit within six weeks the outcome of the criminal case registered at Riamal police station and the departmental proceedings against the delinquent SI along with the status of payment of monetary relief to the victim under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) (Amendment) Rules, 2011.
Source: The New Indian Express
