The Simdega district administration on Saturday provided security to the family members of alleged hunger death victim, Santoshi Kumari, after a group of about 40 villagers reportedly entered their house, abused and manhandled them on Friday evening.
The family has been provided security of eight policemen after they left the village Karimati in Jaldega Block and took refuge at a social worker’s house in another village.
Koyli Devi (Santoshi’s mother) and her daughter alleged that about 40-50 persons barged into their house in the evening on Friday and started searching their house. “They looked for ‘things’ in every nook and corner of the house and also took pictures of the stuff. They were continuously abusing us for bringing infamy to the village and said that we are misusing the money the Government has given us,” said Koyli Devi talking to mediapersons.
“They broke our earthen pots and took away a broiler chicken the kids had brought for festivals saying that we do not deserve a lavish life at the cost of defaming the village. They abused and even manhandled us,” she added.
According to locals, the family, after the episode, left their house in the village and took shelter at the house of an activist in nearby village. later, they took shelter at a panchayat building in Patiyambe, before being escorted back to the village by administrative officials, they added.
The administration, however, denied any attack on the family. Simdega Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said the whole episode seemed to be fabricated with the involvement of unwanted forces in the issue.
“As soon as we got the information, I sent Jaldega BDO to the village to see the matter. When they reached there the family was not in the house. Villagers told that they had gone to a social activist’s place. When the team was searching for the family they found them at a Panchayat building. The BDO brought them back to their house and took statements of the family members,” Bhajantri said.
“According to the mukhiya of the village and others, there was no attack on the family and Koyli Devi had been called by some treacherous forces for giving exaggerated statements to sensationalise the issue. However, the statements of the family members have been recorded and an FIR has also been ordered if necessary. The family has been given security by the administration,” he added.
Jaldega Police Station In-charge Samuel linda, who accompanied the BDO to the village said the whole episode was a pack of lies. “It’s true that the Mukhiya and some people had gone to the house of Koyli Devi but no one has misbehaved with them. Koyli was taken to one NGO activist’s house on her will by a motorcycle so villagers informed us about the case. She and her daughter had been there, possibly for giving media feeds to some unknown persons. We are investigating the matter,” said linda, who is yet to file an FIR in the matter.
JPCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat, who reached the village on Saturday, said that there was unnecessary politicisation of the issue and the Government should simply accept the fact that the child died due to starvation. He said the issue needed to be probed by an independent agency and the system should be strengthened rather than making false statements that everything was going well.