The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday said it has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report revealing that two persons belonging to the Scheduled Caste were beaten up, forced to eat grass and drink drain water, on suspicion of illegally smuggling cattle by some people belonging to other community, in Odisha’s Ganjam district on June 26.
The national rights body said it has issued notices to the Odisha government and the state’s police chief over the inhumane incident with the two dalit men in Ganjam district.
The shocking incident took place in broad daylight at Kharigumma village under Dharakote block of Ganjam district on Sunday.
According to report, their mobile phones were snatched and their heads were also forcibly tonsured by the people belonging to another community, it said.
The commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.
Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Odisha, seeking a detailed report in two weeks.
The report is expected to include the action taken against the perpetrators and compensation, if any, provided to the victims, it said.
What exactly happened with the two dalit men
The victims identified as Bulu Nayak (52) and Babul Nayak (43), belonging to Singipur, bought a cow and two calves from Haripur as part of the dowry arrangement of a marriage ceremony of a family. They were taking the cattle to their village on a cargo auto-rickshaw.
However, a group of locals intercepted them at Kharigumma, accusing them of transporting the cattle illegally. The group then reportedly snatched their mobile phones and cash and demanded Rs 30,000 to release the animals.
When the two men refused, the group tied their limbs, beat them up, took to a local salon and partially shaved their heads. They eveb forced them to crawl for nearly two km to Jahada village.
The victims were then allegedly forced to eat grass and drain drain water at Jahada village chowk. A villager informed the incident to a local leader who reached the spot to release them but demanded Rs 30,000 for the purpose.
In the meantime, the two victims, despite suffering injuries on head and other parts of the body due to the assault, managed to escape from the spot and reached their village.
After receiving preliminary treatment at the local hospital, they lodged a complaint with Dharakote police.
