The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Director General of Police (DGP) in an atrocity case by the cops in which over 13 persons were injured in Gobindpur village in Jagatsinghpur district.
The apex human rights body issued the direction acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy over the plight of the victims who have been living under the threat of police.
Kalpataru, Tuna Baral, Ramesh Mohanty, Bhramarbar Das, Tukuni Behera and others suffered police lathicharge at Gobindpur village of Jagatsinghpur village during an agitation against Posco on June 28 last. Hundreds of villagers had assembled at the place and were protesting the whimsical demolition of their betel vines by the administration, when the police, who were present at the spot, suddenly beat them up, including women. At least 13 persons were injured in the incident. However, the injured villagers, fearing arrest, did not go outside of their panchayat limits and instead received treatment privately.
When the villagers reached the site and started protesting, the lathi-wielding policemen again beat them up mercilessly. All their appeals to spare their betel vines when the betel rate is at its peak fell on deaf ears as the officials went on razing the vines one after another. Even, they did not allow the villagers to take back their motor pumps, polythene sheets and other tools.
Tripathy had requested the NHRC to make an independent and impartial investigation of the issue and direct the State to provide free medical treatment to the injured and restrain the police from highhandedness, besides compensation to the victims.