The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Nuapada district Superintendent of Police (SP) to submit updated status report of the investigation in a case relating to slavery.
Human rights activist Dr Subash Mohapatra on October 17, 2014 had drawn the attention of the commission to an incident in which Jagabandhu Majhi of Anugarh village under Komna police station along with his mother and minor daughter was kidnapped.
“The fault of Jagabandhu was that he had witnessed payment of Rs 50,000 as advance to one Ghasi Harijan by Bhujhbal Majhi, an influential political leader in the locality. Majhi and his colleagues were engaged in enslaving people in the area by recruiting poor SC and ST people,” the petitioner had stated.
Though an FIR was filed at the Komna police by Jagabandhu’s wife Rambha, the police did not take any action.
After the matter came to the notice of NHRC, the commission had directed the Nuapada SP for report. Accordingly, the SP had intimated the commission that accused Bhujbal Majhi and Ram Shankar Naik were arrested and sent to the court on October 27, 2014.
On Thursday, the NHRC directed the Nuapada district SP to send updated status report of the investigation within six weeks.
The human traffickers engaged in slavery found guilty of a dalit person as because he had witnessed payment of Rs 50,000 as advance to another person.