Taking a serious view of the brutal attack on a minor son of a Kendrapada-based RTI activist and daily labourer, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has called for an action-taken report (ATR) from the district SP while directing the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack authorities to provide treatment to the victim free of cost.
Acting on a petition filed by RTI campaigner Pradip Pradhan, the OHRC has on May 26 asked the SP to submit an ATR within four weeks and directed the SCB authorities to bear the medical expenses out of the State Treatment Fund.
The petitioner contended that on May 15 midnight, miscreants mercilessly attacked Suvam Sarathi Rout (10) of Bhagabanpur under Marshaghai police station in Kendrapada district as his father Kalandi Rout a poor farmer detected misappropriation of around `15 lakh fund in repair of Udayabata Upper Primary School and mismanagement of fund for MDM by the Headmaster, Block and District Education Officers and sought information through RTI.
Suvam is now at the Central ICU of the SCB hospital.
“This is a first-ever case in the State where a child being has suffered being mercilessly attacked by miscreants as his RTI activist father tried to expose corruption using RTI in the locality,” the petitioner maintained.