Taking serious view of a case where a man and his son were allegedly beaten up and forced to consume human excreta by fellow villagers suspecting them to be practising witchcraft at Dungapalli village under Jagannathprasad panchayat in Ganjam district, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked for action-taken report (ATR) from the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
The apex human rights watchdog also directed the OHRC and the Ganjam SP for early disposal of the case in accordance with law.
Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain had moved the apex human rights watchdog appealing to it to ensure justice to the victims and Rs 5 lakh compensation to them. The petitioner alleged that on June 19, father Bhagirathi Mallik and son Kartikeswar Mallik were beaten up mercilessly by the fellow villagers and were forced to eat human excreta.