Bhubaneswar: The tribal residents of Jagannathprasad block in Ganjam, Tuesday, lodged a petition with the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) alleging torture by local police at the behest of liquor mafia and anti-socials involved in the murder of two tribals few years ago. The locals requested the rights panel to take stringent action against police inaction and rein in the atrocities by liquor mafia against the innocent tribals.
The residents of the block alleged that police officials of Tarasing police station in Ganjam in connivance with bootleggers and other anti-socials have been implicating innocent tribals in bootlegging and arson cases. As many as 200 cases have been registered against tribals belonging to Kandha community. The persons who raised their voice against the bootleggers in the area have been falsely implicated by the police in several cases, alleged the residents.
They also alleged that indifferent police officials had not taken any action in two murder cases until a large rally by the Kui Samaj under the leadership of Lambodar Kahnar, president of Kui Samaj, was taken out September 11, 2018.
Buckling under the pressure from the outfit, police rescued the decomposed body of one Jitu Pradhan September18, 2018. Jitu, an MBA student in a management institute in Bhubaneswar, was allegedly killed by one Prabhanjan Tripathy over some monetary issues August 28, 2018.
Similarly, police arrested the accused after pressure exerted by the tribal organisations demanding immediate arrest in case. The deceased was identified as Ganesh Mallick of Salapataila under Tarasingi police station limits. The body with severed head was spotted by the locals in a nearby jungle a few days after his alleged abduction by some miscreants June 4, 2018. The locals alleged that a father-son duo had killed him over dispute related to sexual misconduct with the niece of Mallick at his village.
The members of tribal community alleged that local police have been perpetrating the atrocities due to the agitations by the Samaj against police inaction.
They had earlier sent their plaints to the Prime Minister, SC/ST Commissions of the state and the Centre, and the Odisha Human Rights Commission in this regard.