Belbahali Police Atrocities: NHRC seeks ATR from Odisha DGP

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has served a notice to the Director General of Police, Odisha over the alleged atrocities by the police forces in Belbahali village of Keonjhar district in July 2015.

The Commission has directed DGP Sanjeev Marik to file action taken report (ATR) within four weeks. The directive came in response to a petition filed by rights activist Akhand demanding action against the erring police officials and compensation to the victims.

A four-member team from Civil Society Forum on Human Rights (CSFHR), a Bhubaneswar based rights organization visited the place on 21 July and prepared a report of the incident. Akhand, who is also a working group member of the organization, had submitted that report before the apex rights body.

More than 20 villagers were injured in police lathicharge in the early hours on 7th July on the banks of river Kusei adjoining Belbahali village in Keonjhar (Kendujhar) district. Tension mounted when armed police arrived at dawn to evict villagers sitting on dharna for three days opposing the construction of a bridge over the river.

The Petitioner alleged that police applied tear gas, mercilessly beat up villagers, including women, fired rubber bullets causing physical injuries to hundreds of innocent villagers with no fault. The cops also arrested 116 villagers under 17 sections of the IPC.

“Police did not even spare a paralysis patient named Babu Nahaka, 55. The cops thrashed one Akhaji Bewa, 70 and thrown her into thorny bushes, resulting in serious injury to her, alleged Akhand.