Even after intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and order of the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), the district administration of Bhadrak has failed to ensure justice to Sukanti lata Mohanty, wife of freedom fighter late Birendra Nath Mohanty.
A petition by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy before the NHRC was transferred to the OHRC for appropriate action. Subsequently, the OHRC asked the Bhadrak Collector to take up the case on humanitarian grounds. Freedom fighter Ramahari Goswami also requested the Bhadrak district administration to ensure justice to the victim at the earliest. However, nothing seems to move the lethargic administration.
Birendra served in the Indian Army in 1944; participated in World War-II and also won a war medal. He played a pivotal role in achieving freedom for India. However, it is a matter of great shock that the family of such a person has been denied justice due to lapse of the Tehsildar, Dhamnagar, the petitioner contended.
Birendra had purchased land by his hard earned money. He was regularly paying rent for the land to the Government of Odisha for more than 40 years.
To utter dismay and great injustice, it is surprising to know that the entire land purchased by Birendra was snatched away by the Government and entered into Government Khata. Birendra died of cancer without justice even after running from pillar to post for correction of record of rights (ROR). After his death, his widow has been approaching the Government officials from Tehsil to State level but nobody is paying any heed to the problem.
The inaction and failure of district administration of Bhadrak to take corrective measure and rectify the ROR amounts to serious violation of human rights, petitioner Tripathy alleged.
He requested the NHRC to direct the district administration of Bhdrak and Dhamnagar Tehsildar to rectify the ROR under Talapada Mouja and ensure justice to the victim within eight weeks.