Pregnant Dalit woman dies due to police excess
Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, January 14: “Was there an attire need to arrest a Dalit woman Sulabati alias Mula Naik continuing her pregnancy at ninth month ? Was it really warranted by police to manhandle, institute false cases against her and put her forward to court just because she was simply & rightfully asking labourer’s job in the mining company Utkal Alumina International Limited(UAIL) ? Was she so violent that 307 case was lodged against her ? All this has been done with a pre-plan by police in connivance with authorities of UAIL”, said Sri Jitu Jakesika, a local tribal leader and District President of Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP), who has demanded that Andrakancha IIC Sukuma Hasdah, Rayagada SP Vivekananda Sharma and UAIL Chief Sri Mazhar Beig should be taken to task at the earliest or else they will take to streets. Sri Saroj Naik, BSP’s senior leader has said that they are really astonished about Company’s lollypop of five lakhs compensation & demanded Rs. one crore to Mula’s family & comprehensive care of the new born baby boy and the school going girl till they attain adulthood.
Late Sulabati alongwith twelve dalit women namely Kanaka Naik, Bimala Naik, Radha Naik, Sukanti Naik, Sumitra Naik, Alekamani Naik, Sitamani Naik, Aladina Naik, Bulki Naik, Sabita Naik, Harabati Naik & Jalandhari Naik of Andrakanch village under Mikancha GP of Kashipur block were demanding an engagement in the company as daily labourer. Due to mining activities in the area, most of their families have lost land and livelihood except daily wage to be provided by the company. It has been a struggle since last few years. Promises were given both by Company officials and the local govt authorities only to be broken each time.
“These dalit women were staging a dharana in the entrance to the mining area and demanding sustained labour work and on last December 26, at the instance of the company lots of police force flocked to the spot and started ill treating all the women. Then they arrested them, manhandled and pushed them into the vehicle by applying force. When we pointed Mula as nine month pregnant and requested them to spare her, the police did not heed to our request. There were even four lactating mothers. All were arrested & forwarded to court”, said the villagers of Andrakanch.
As per the written complain from Asutosh Sahu, SI of Police, Andrakanch police station PS case no-68 dated 26.12.2022 in IPC 1860 under section 147, 148, 283, 294, 323, 353, 506, 307, 149 these thirteen women got arrested with charges like abusing the police in duty in filthy language, pelting stones, one agitating woman biting the throat of a woman constable, not allowing company(UAIL)vehicles into mines, threatening to set fire police & company vehicle, etc. Though bail was allowed to Mula in Kashipur Court under few sections, she was not allowed in other sections, especially 307.
“These women were not asking a big thing from the Company. They were asking for daily labour jobs. Section 307 is generally applied to criminals who attempt to murder. Were these simple village women having lethal weapons to kill the heavily armed police, who really outnumbered the village women ? Was Tula give proper treatment before seng her to court ? was she properly treated in jail as per SOP ? It is evident that the police having nexus with the company authorities instituted several false cases against these innocent women. The Company is heavily polluting the area and continuously making false promises to develop the displaced families. Even it has gone back in declaring affected villages like Dimundi and D Karol as DP-Displaced villages though they are genuinely eligible. But Mula’s case is in its height. This is a cold blooded murder & Company and police both have killed Mula. I will appeal this violation before NHRC & evn question this injustice in the next session to be held on 31st January in Parliament”, said Saptagiri Ulaka, the lone Cogress MP from Koraput constituency during a press conference. He has also demanded a compensation of rupees one crore to the family members of Mula.
Sri Kaliram Majhi, National ST Morcha Memberof BJP & a tribal leader from Kashipur itself is anguished over the whole issue and has squarely blamed the police, especially the SP, Rayagada, who seem to be silent.”When SP Sharma organises press meets over trivial issues like seizure of a few kg cannabis and bottles of country liquor, it is unfortunate that till today he has not made any public statements about Tula’s death”’ lamented majhi. Basanta Ulaka, a senior BJP leader and tribal youth face in the district also fumes in anger regarding the police excess made due to which a dalit mother died leaving two orphans behind. He has also demanded an ex-gratia of Rs.1 crore to Tula’s family and sheer punishment to erring police officials.
“It is really painful that the district govt officials are merry making for ensuing Chaiti, a district level cultural extravaganza & the hunger death valley Kashipur is experiencing yet another death for different reason”’ said Sri Ajay Kumar Rath, a RTI activist of the district. While there are unending questions to be answered by the district administration, demand for proper financial compensation to the family of the deceased, taking the erring police and company officials to task & an impartial inquiry of the whole episode, some members of the civil societies and RTI activists are preparing themselves to appeal NHRC, National Women Commission, National SC Commission and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR).
