Orissa - People's watch

FF Code : EU/OR/CTC /066/2008
Victim(s) : Gangadhara Sutar
Perpetrator(s) : 1) Duryodhan Majhi 2) Subash Chandra Behera, ASI
Location : Kishore Nagar PS, Cuttack
Date of incident : 25/01/2008
Case Details:
Victim Gangadhara Sutar is a businessman residing in Totapada village. A contractor named Duryodhan
Majhi misused the money sanctioned for constructing a road in the village. The villagers were displeased
at this corrupt attitude of the contractor owing to which they agitated. The contractor bribed the police and
caused the people to be dispersed. The victim lodged a complaint at Kishore Nagar Police Station
regarding this. The ASI on the other hand, joined hands with Duryodhan, and arrested Gangadhara. He
was detained in the police station for three days and subjected to severe torture. Both his legs and hands
were injured. The villagers have informed the matter to the SHRC.
Orissa
131
FF Code : EU/OR/CTC/068/2008
Victim(s) : 1) Sadhu Charan Pradhan 2) 7 other person
Perpetrator(s) : 1) Dhirendra Lenka
Location : Post. Champeswar, Kanapur PS
Date of incident : 20/01/2008
Case Details:
Victim Sadhu Charan Pradhan, aged 57, is a member of a backward cast and lives in Manapur (Post-
Champeswar, Kanpur, Cuttack).
On 20 January 2008 Sadhu and some other inhabitants of Manapur, found out that the village’s political
leader, named Bhagirathi Prdhan (50), had misappropriated Rs.1,000,000 of the village’s official budget.
Having asked the local authorities about this case of peculation, the group Sadhu was part of, was first
threatened and then attacked by the son of Bhagirathi, named Alok, and 10 other supporters of Bhagriathi.
The goal of this attack was to intimidate the inhabitants and avoid these opponents of Bhagirathi from
blaming the governing mayor further for his misconduct.
In order to make a complaint about the attack of Alok and the 10 other persons, Sadhu went to the
Kanapur Police Station, the security authority in charge of Manapur, soon after the described happenings.
When he asked the officer in charge (OIC) of his complaint, named Dhirendra Lenka, Sadhu was
verbally abused and beaten by OIC Lenka. He and seven other inhabitants of the village were put under
arrest, what was justified by false cases which accused them for crimes they had never committed.
Annual Report on Torture
2008