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Mr. Justice A S Anand
Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
Sardar Patel Bhawan
Parliament Street
New Delhi-110001
Subject: Complaint
against torture of two minor Dalit boys - Gobinda Mallick
(17) and Ashok Mallick (16) in Nuagaon village in Jagatsinghpur
district of Orissa.
Dear Justice Anand,
I am writing to
seek urgent intervention of the National Human Rights Commission
against torture of two minor Dalit boys - Gobinda Mallick
(17) and Ashok Mallick (16) who were allegedly forced to crawl
on their knees on hot sand, paraded naked and made to drink
urine in Nuagaon village in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa
recently by a contactor.
A 6-member fact-finding
team, comprising Ambedkar-Lohia Vichar Manch leaders and a
few other social activists had visited the village recently
to inquire about the incident. The two alleged victims-Gobinda
Mallick (17) and Ashok Mallick (16) while narrating the alleged
incident before the reporters on 25 June 2003 alleged that
a contractor and his associates subjected them to inhuman
torture. They were first accused of stealing a pump from the
contractor's house after they stopped working for him. After
black magicians "confirmed their involvement in the crime"
they were dragged from their house and were forced to walk
on their knee, brutally beaten up and given electric shock.
Mr Gobinda Mallick
further charged that he was paraded naked on the village street
and forced to drink urine. When his mother, Bidulata rushed
to save him, she was also assaulted.
When the family
members of the two victims went to Kujang police station to
lodge complaint, the police officials did not listen to their
pleas. On the contrary, the officials registered a theft case
on the basis of a FIR filed by the prime accused on the next
day, arrested the two boys and forwarded them to court, lamented
the fact-finding team members.
Impunity is one
of the important factors contributing to atrocities against
the Dalits. It is essential that the NHRC intervenes to break
the cycle of impunity.
I shall be grateful
if the NHRC could kindly intervene by taking the following
measures:
1.
Direct the State Government of Orissa to conduct a judicial
inquiry into the incident and report to the NHRC within three
months;
2.
Direct the State government of Orissa to register the First
Information Report against the culprits under the relevant
provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes;
3.
Direct the State Government of Orissa to suspend the concerned
police officials of Kujang police station for their failure
to register the FIR;
4.
Direct the State Government of Orissa to pay interim compensation
of Rs 50,000 to the victims and that the same be recovered
from the perpetrators;
5.
Take any other measure that the NHRC deems fit.
Looking forward to your kind intervention.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
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