NHRC sought report on domestic-servant tortured incident in Balangir

NHRC has directed Bolangir collector to submit a report on the alleged physical torture by the employer on a domestic-labourer within two weeks, after hearing a complaint petition on 28^th January 2010 filed by Jharsuguda based Pragatisila Sramik Manch (PSM). The commission also wanted to know detained about the action taken by the administration in the alleged physical torture case.“I have received a notice from the NHRC to submit a report on the alleged child labour torture case. I am right now preparing the report to submit it with in stipulated time”, Collector (Bolangir) Aswathy S. said.

Source said, the victim of the case, a 17 years parentless boy Shyam Sunder Podh of Sikachhida village of Bolangir district was residing with his maternal aunty. One Junier Engineer Neheru Behera deployed him through a local agent as domestic labourer in his house two years back with a promise to give Rs.200/- per month. The JE than sent the boy to Chandikhol to work as gardener-com-domestic laborer there. During his stay in Chandikhol, the boy was subjected to physical torture by the employer and his brothers. Things became worst when he wanted to leave the house and asked them for his dues. The boy was brought him to Angul in a bus and left him in an unconscious state after beating him mercilessly. The boy was rescued by passerby and admitted in local hospital. Latter he returned to his native with many difficulties.

‘When I heard about the matter, I rushed to his village on 10^th January 2010. I was surprised to see his condition. He narrated his story and described how he was beaten up by his employer and others. I shocked to hear how he was brought to Angul where they thrashed him mercilessly and left him on the road side in an unconscious state. I raised the issue before the district administration. I demand the government to provide him proper justice and punishment to the erring persons as per provision”, the general Secretary of the Bolangir based NGO ‘Kalyan’ Minaskhi Purohit, who brought the issue into limelight said.

“Raising the issue before the administration, we demanded the arrest of the accused persons on several occasions but reluctant attitude of the both police and administration helps to accused persons to get anticipatory bails from the high court.”, Purohit said.

On the other hand, both administration and police of the district seemed to have wakened up after receiving the direction from the NHRC few days ago. “Rs. 5,000/- was sectioned immediately from the Red Cross fund and shifted the victim to the SCB Medical college for treatment. The victim who suffered severe spinal injury was admitted in the orthopedic department of the hospital”, Purohit added.

Meanwhile, the Pragati Sramik Manch of Jharsuguda which brought the issue before the NHRC demanded proper compensation to the victim from the pocket of the employer. “The victim should be provided with proper justice and the employer should be punished for torturing the innocent boy in the name of domestic labourer. The cost and compensation should be borne from the employer’s pocket”, Rakhyakar Mohapatra, general Secretary of the Pragatisila Sramik Manch (PSM) of Jharsuguda said