Rights crusader and Supreme Court lawyer, Radhakanta Tripathy has already filed more than 16,000 cases in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Tripathy, a native of Bhadrak district, fights for the displaced and the destitute and has brought substantial impact in the justice system, governance and bureaucracy in India. In the context of Odisha, his cases pertaining to the displaced masses in several projects brought justice in several forms. His constant efforts led to rehabilitation and resettlement of thousands of displaced families and payment of due compensation in Hirakud, Salandi-Nalia, Reba-Kapali, Kansbans-Gamei, Lower Suktel, Vedanta, Indravati, Deo and Kanpur projects. Repair, renovation and construction of hundreds of schools, Anganwadi centers, roads and bridges and health centers are the outcomes of the petitions filed by him.
It is worthy to mention that Tripathy too has been fighting for the rights of tribals across India. He has brought before the NCST plight of the displaced tribals in hundreds of projects in entire Odisha. The NCST sought comprehensive report from the Odisha Chief Secretary over the issues.
Tripathy has also drawn attention of the NCST to ensure justice to the tribals who are in death row and convicted for life and those who are languishing in the prisons as Under Trial Prisoners across India. Acting on his petitions the NCST has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of all the States and chief administrators of the Union Territories.
His work to ensure justice to Lili Naik, a tribal lady from Mayurbhanj district and to the families of Tulasi Munda, another tribal pregnant who died due to lack of medical care and communication facilities from the same district has become talk of the town. His intervention in the case of rape of a tribal lady on August 15 in SCB MCH and rape of a tribal lady on road side in Malkangiri district set the law into motion.
The landless leprosy tribal patients in Bhadrak Dagamunda colony have been ensured land and houses with toilets, besides school and Anganwadi center, after a decade-long struggle by Tripathy. The plethora of problems in tribal dominated Kalahandi , Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Keonjhar, Nabarangpur and Nuapada districts have been addressed after the pro-bono legal intervention of Tripathy in the NHRC and other forums.
Earlier for his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court the vacancies in the NCST were filled up and the Annual Reports of the Commission were tabled before the Parliament for the first time. As a Covid warrior during the pandemic, Tripathy served largely to the under privileged in Bhadrak district. His litigation against the chastity/virginity test in Maharashtra, Rajasthan or Gujarat brought impact to ensure Government action. Fifty six women sterilized by cycle pump in Angul district have been compensated on his petition.
Tripathy’s ongoing legal battle for the inmates in the Asia’s largest red light area, Soagachchi, has been bringing tangible impact on the lives of the trafficking and flesh trade victims.
The cases filed by Tripathy in stripping of 70 girls in Uttar Pradesh, sexual assault of minor girls in Bhadrak and Baleswar districts, rape by priests and Maulvis, fake godmen in different States, pregnant minor students in State run SC ST schools, death of girl in fake encounter in Punjab, ASHA worker in Kandhamal, and a girl in hot Dal vessel in Koraput put the paralysed and apathetic State machinery active.