laldhar Majhi, a tribal of Sainipada village in the Patdarha plateau of Nuapada district has complained that he has been severely beaten by jawans, who were on a combing operation against Maoists in the Patdarha forest.
laldhar said he was searching his bullock in the forest when the jawans spotted him at about 1 am on June 20. "Gurkha jawans spotted me and asked me about my whereabouts. I said I belong to a nearby village, Sainipada. One of them slapped me; and when I reacted and asked why they were beating me, they became angrier and started beating me with lathis by tying my wrists to my back." said laldhar, who is now admitted to the Community Health Centre at Boden for treatment. He is complaining severe pain in legs and other parts of his body.
A complaint in this regard has been filed by laldhar at the Boden police station on Wednesday.
The people of Kuimunda, another village in the plateau, have also complained that the “Gurkha jawans” took one Padman Paharia of their village on June 20 with them while he was returning home from a nearby village.
Padman's wife has filed a complaint with the Boden police on Wednesday. The people, however, could not ascertain who the “Gurkha policemen” are.
Two types of forces are in operation in Nuapada district to combat Maoists, one is the CRPF and the other Special Operation Group (SOG). They regularly conduct combing operations in the Maoist-infested areas of the district who are identified as "Gurkha police" by people.
The Boden PS IIC said the police are inquiring into the complaints. "There is no proof to ascertain who has beaten laldhar. There are sometimes joint operations by forces of Odisha and Chhattisgarh States; so, it is difficult to say who beat laldhar," said he, adding that what people of these areas complain are not always true because they are also under pressure from the Maoists.