The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is yet to act in a case wherein an elected representative made fake records of death of his daughter to become Sarpanch in Gopinathpur panchayat in Chandabali block of Bhadrak district even after lapse of more than two months.
Earlier acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had directed the OHRC to take necessary action in the case.
It was in 2012 elections, Badal Majhi was elected as the Sarpanch. According to Odisha Gram Panchayat Act-1948, a man having more than two children cannot fight local body elections. To satisfy the greed of power, Majhi sent one of his daughters to an orphanage and maintained fake record of her death. The death was registered by the district administration and a death certificate was issued.
Majhi has been continuing as a Sarpanch for three years without any action against him and likely to continue for two more years. The failure of the State Government to act over the issue amounts to serious violation of human rights, the petitioner alleged.
He requested the NHRC to investigate the case from all angles, direct the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Odisha to make a thorough probe and arrest the culprits in the case and take legal action against them and also issue notice to the Secretary, Ministry of Panchayatiraj, Government of India to enquire and investigate the cases of elected representatives of the local bodies in rural areas who have been killing their own children on record to contest elections and ensure the basic human rights of the children of the elected representatives at village/panchayat level in rural India.