The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the Keonjhar Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) to send a team of health workers to provide necessary medical facilities to the villagers of Belbahali who have sustained injuries in police attack.
The commission has fixed August 24 for next hearing.
A team of rights activist led by Pradip Pradhan filed a petition at the OHRC on July 28 seeking immediate intervention of the commission to withdraw huge police force deployed in and around Belabahali village and direct the CDMO to send a well-equipped health team to provide treatment to the people suffering from various diseases and wounded due to police attack.
The team which also met the commission also apprised the latter that an old man suffering from paralysis died due to lack of treatment.
“Since last 20 days the police forces have been cordoning the whole village inhabited by around 10,000 people after brutal police attack and atrocity on the innocent villagers who have been opposing proposed diversion and expansion of the road and construction of new bridge on NH 215 over Kushei river by the NHAI citing that it would create waterlogging and flood in the area and damage 2,000 hectares of agriculture land leading to putting adverse impact on their economy,” the petitioner alleged.
Earlier, a 15-member civil society group delegation
had visited the village to ascertain the fact about the incident and magnitude of police atrocity.