In a shocking incident, upper caste people of Mohanpur village under Gambharimunda outpost in Banpur of Chilika area launched a lethal attack on a fellow villager belonging to Scheduled Caste for daring to disobey their order of not using a PWD road of the locality.
According to sources, about 25 of the miscreants went berserk and assaulted the victim with lathi besides attempting to kill him by stabbing. They also attacked him inside the nearby police outpost, when he sought protection from the police. While the police officer was a mute spectator, given the political backing enjoyed by the miscreants, he acted at their behest to book him under Section 307 of IPC and court forwarded the victim.
Sources revealed Rathindra Nayak of the village, who was coming home after a stay of about 32 years in Kolkata, was seriously beaten on June 23.
The miscreants belonging to upper caste Hindu society, mostly those who are BJP supporters, intercepted the loaded vehicle of Ratikanta carrying all the household articles from Kalkota to his parental village at Mohanpur.
Reportedly, they forcibly prevented the vehicle running on the approaching PWD road of the village and compelled the driver to return to a distance of about 500 meters to resume his transportation after midnight only.
Rathindra, when pleaded with utter humility, was told that no vehicle transporting the goods of a member of Scheduled Caste community shall ever be allowed to travel on the road meant for the upper caste people.
Rathindra then prostrated and begged them to let him move forward but he was seriously manhandled and subsequently beaten mercilessly with lathis. The driver from Kalkota was also seriously beaten by the miscreants.
Finding no other ways, Rathindra went to the outpost of Gambharimunda, but the miscreants under the tacit support of their leaders, followed him and even beat him inside the outpost in front of the OIC.
Helpless, Rathindra crept under the cot of the outpost for saving himself from the attackers. In the meanwhile, Hirachand Samantasinghar (25), being armed with a knife rushed forward to stab Rathindra, who was lying underneath the cot. His father Tukuna Samantasinghar snatched the knife from his son and in the process Tukuna was injured.
The attacker being powerful enough and having sufficient influence over the outpost managed to prevail upon the police officer and intriguingly got the victim booked the victim under Section 307 of IPC.
Furthermore, Jitendra, the handicapped son of Rathindra, was mercilessly attacked by the goons. They warned Rathindra, his son and all other SC people of the village of dire consequence if they used the PWD road during day time.
Meanwhile, former MlA Surendra Prasad Paramanik and Secretary of the State BJD SC Cell Ashok Mallik demanded immediate arrest of the 25 miscreants who attacked Rathindra under the SC and ST Prevention Act and due compensation to the victim.
“We demand restoration of peace and normalcy in the area by the district administration,” they said.
It is also further learnt that a high level team of BJD Dalit functionaries under the leadership of former Minister, Deputy Chairman State Planning Board and convener, State BJD SC Cell Bishnu Charan Das is going to visit the disturbed area. They will submit a detailed report on the incident to the Chief Minister.