Pregnant cadre disclosed ‘Sexual harassment’ in the camp: police nabbed 3 cadres

Females are not at all safe in the Maoist camp as sexual harassment has become common in the Maoist camps. The 5 months pregnant female cadre disclosed this after she was nabbed by the Bargarh police on Sunday. She was taken for abortion in a vehicle towards Nuapara when police caught them at Amarpali chock on SH-03 under Paikmal Police station of the district. Police said they were total 5 people including the driver and two female cadres in the vehicle but one managed to abscond from the spot after seeing the police. Police identified them as Azad @ Anil Kumar (25) of village Kasadand of Kanker district, Rambati Usendi (20) of village Alpara of Kanker district and Shambati Dubba @ Usendi (20) of village Bhimnar under Narayanpur District, all three from  Chhattisgarh state and one Makunda Naik (27) years of Rajapada village of Padampur police station of Bargarh district who was driving the vehicle.

The Bargarh SP Kavita Jalan disclosed that the pregnant lady Sambati was conceived as one of the senior leader of the outfit identified as Roshan kept sexual relation with her by using force.  “Roshan does not want to marry me after I conceived with his child. Now they wanted me to abort the child despite my vehement opposition”, SP Jalan said quoting the version of the Sambati.  SP disclosed that the lady made allegation of sexual harassment in the Maoist camp and how they were used by the male cadre to satisfy their sexual urges.

SP Jalan said, they were going towards Nuapara district in a Silver colour Bolero bearing registration No.OR-16-C-7666 But police intercepted the vehicle at Amarpali Chowk.They were total 5 persons in the vehicle including the driver. On seeing the Police, one male person jumped out of the vehicle and fled away. Police identified him as David.   

 “We smelt a rotten when one was jumped out and fled away seeing police team. We suspected them during verification as they did not able to give it properly. We arrested them and brought for interrogation. The pregnant lady Sambati disclosed every thing before me during interrogation and narrated how she was sexually harassed by senior cadres and how she was conceived.” SP (Bargarh) Kavita Jalan said on Sunday.

Police said, one country made pistol with 6 rounds of live ammunitions were seized from them. The other articles seized from them were include Letters addressed to commander, meeting proceedings, Two Tiffin bombs, Two numbers of detonators, Route maps of Burla town Cash of Rs.1,350/-,Some eatables like biscuit, parched rice, flattened rice., Some leaflets in hindi and oriya languages, Books written in oriya relating to activities of Maoists.

Minor student was raped and murder in Jharsuguda

 In a bizarre incident in Jharsuguda, a 15 years high school student was allegedly gang raped and murdered in the Kukurjangha village under Badmal police station limits of the district in Orissa on the the Friday night. Police seized the dead body and handed over it to her family on Saturday after conducting autopsy. She was missing since evening. Police sources said, the 15 years girl Khirapriya was reading in Badmal Panchayat High school in 10th  standard and went missing after going to attend call of nature.

Family members said they started searching her when they did not see her return after waiting for couple of hours. According to the mother of girl Sasama Dansana they spotted her body lying in a fastidious condition near by their house. Initially they could not understand but when they realized the daughter was no more they informed the police in the night.  "we recovered her dead body. we suspected she was gang raped before she was killed by the rapists in order to wash out the evidence. we suspected involvement of some known person in the incident", officer of Badmal police station said.According to the police deceased was strangulated by the accused persons to kill her. 

Basing on the complaint police detained a tantric of the village as he was allegedly having a bad eye on her. police said,  tantric was visiting her house regularly in the past. But he was not allowed to enter the house when the girl made a charge of molestation against the tantric few months back. 

police handed over the dead body to her family after conducting autopsy on Saturday. The incident has brought a shock wave in entire district. 
published in the Sunday indian web page
http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/minor-student-raped-murdered-in-orissa/19011/

18 years wait ends: Bargarh got district Judgeship

With the formation of district judgeship in Bargarh, the waiting for long 18 years of the people especially the lawyers’ community has come to end on Saturday. While inaugurating the district judge court in Bargarh on Saturday the chief justice of Orissa high court V Golal Gouda, advocated the legal profession and said lawyers are pillar of the society who are fighting for the up-liftment of the  of the underprivileged community since pre-independence. “The role of lawyers has been considered as vital in a democratic step up like India”, CJ said. Underline the profession as ‘Noble’ Chief Justice Gouda appealed to both Bar and Bench to acquire training from experience to fight the new form of crimes that are brewing up in the modern society. While addressing the lawyers, he said that he feels proud to be a son of a farmer. “When 70% of the population of the country belongs to farmer community, every one of us should think for their development. Country will not achieve its goal unless the larger section of the society gets equal justice in term of health, education and food and shelter”, he said. CJ was accompanied with Justice BP Das and MM Das who also spoke on this occasion.

photo: Rabi Panda

On the other hand, after a gap of 7 years a chief justice was entered to the office of Sambalpur Bar Association on Saturday where he was felicitated by the lawyers. While inaugurating the ‘continuous legal education programme’ organized by the lawyers of Sambalpur, Gouda said how legal education has become essential for development of the country. During his 30 minutes speech Gouda tried to keep himself away from all controversial issues. Appreciating the members for their nice reception, he appealed the judicial magistrates and young lawyers to learn various legal ideas and opinion from the senior members of the bar. “Continuous Training is always required to bring perfection but the idea that comes through experience is much more important”, Gouda said. However he appreciated the lawyers of Sambalpur to have the idea of such training which helps them to refresh their legal education. “In the modern society every thing has converted in to super-specialty so lawyers are also be trained to make themselves super-specialty in legal profession”, he said

photo : Biju

During his visit to Sambalpur chief justice also inaugurated a permanent Lok Adalat in side the   Sambalpur court. He also laid the foundation stone of multi faceted ADR (alternative dispute resolution) centre.

It may be informed that no justice was coming to Sambalpur Bar over the past 7 years as the lawyers had decided to boycott judges of high court in view of their demand of high court bench. But this time they decided to welcome the CJ to put forth their grievance 

youth was hacked over land dispute

A 26years old youth was brutally hacked on Thursday by a group of 4 persons in connection with the dispute over a piece of land in Satupali village under Burla police station of Sambalpur district. Deceased identified as Upendra Nag who happened to be the son of local lady Sarapanch. Police arrested one person but unable to nab others as they managed to abscond soon after the incident. 

Police said, there was a dispute between the family of Urkuli Nag the sarapanch of local Basantpur GP and her neighbour Basanta Mahanand since a long time. They also fought a long legal battle in Orissa high court in connection to the land.

Since Basanta was under the occupation of the land over the past few years, it becomes difficult for Urkuli family to claim a right over the land. So deceased being the son of the local Sarapanch took an attempt to possess the land, police sources said. 

According to police deceased went to the disputed land on Thursday and asked Basanta to leave the land as the land is owned by his family.  There was a hot discussion between Upendra and Basanta which led to fistfight between them. Infuriated Basanta and his men working in the field hacked Upendra with spade and axe and left the dead body in the agriculture field.

“We rushed to the spot after getting the information and recovered the dead body in a pool of blood in the field. We arrested Basanta but unable to trace others as they remained absconded after the incident. We are trying to get them all”, inspector of Burla police station RK Mallick said.  Police registered a case and handed over the body to the relation after conducting autopsy

man died after taking attempt to save a drowning girl

He was fifty years old but he died showing his bravery. He died drowning in the flood water after he tried to save a girl that was drowning in the flood water. While police fished out his dead body from the Mahanadi water few hours after the incident, the girl remained missing till evening.

Such a heart touching incident was taken place in Mandaliya area of Sambalpur town on Sunday after noon. The victim girl Kabita Sahani a 12 years old girl slipped in the Mandaliya Nulla while taking bath in the after noon. Because of the heavy rainfall the water of the Nulla was in full spate and the girl shouted for help when she could not save her from the flood water.   

Source said, the man who was identified as Pandey Nag (50), a resident of same Mandaliya area did not wait for any body when he saw the girl was sinking in the flood water and jumped in to the water at once to save the girl. Since water current was high in the place because the nulla joins river Mahanadi at a slight distance, the man not only failed to rescue the girl but also he put his life under threat.” We saw both of them for a while but with in few moments they disappeared in the flood water. We tried to rescue them but no body takes a risk to jump in to the water because of the water current”, an eye witness Narang Pradhan said.

photo J Singh

Police and fire officials rushed to the spot soon receiving the information and started searching both in the River water. They also took the help of local fisher men and their boats to trace the both victim. “Finally we were able to trace the body of the Nag at the down stream of the River Mahanadi but could not find any clue about the girl”, a police officer of Khetrajpur police station of Sambalpur town said.  According to his the Nulla was flowing in full spate because of the heavy rainfall in the previous night. So he appealed the people to take necessary precaution while taking bath in Nulla water while it was flowing in full spate.  

Ruling BJD workers injured by the attack of medico students

VSS Medical College Hospital 

Tension gripped in the Burla based Veer Surendra Sai medical college and hospital on Wednesday after angry students of the institution ran amok and attacked 3 local BJD leaders in order to vent their anguish when they came to know one of leaders attacked a PG student in connection to the death of a child admitted in pediatrics ward of the hospital. Students expressing displeasure over the regular attack on doctors and PG students decided to start cease work from Thursday morning demanding adequate security arrangement in the hospital.  The victims were rescued in a critical condition and admitted in a private nursing home.   Senior police officers of the district rushed to the spot soon after the incident and armed police forces were deployed in the hospital apprehending further intensified situation owing to the incident.

“We have nothing to say at this moment. First we want to bring back normalcy in the hospital campus. We have taken the matter seriously and we will not spare any one who takes law in his own hand” said a senior police officer of the district. According to him  Sambalpur SP  Nikhil Kanodia along with other senior police officers rushed to the Hospital soon after the incident. SP was stationed at Burla to supervise law and order situation of the town after the incident. .

Sources said a newly born baby died in the hospital’s Pediatrics ward on Wednesday after noon. The town BJD president Sisir Dandia and vice-chairman of Burla NAC, Debendra Pradhan along with one Rinku Dhala were present in the ward who were gone to visit another new born child kept in the incubator as it was  a premature delivery. Eye witnesses said there was a hot discussion between the resident Doctor Santosh Sharma that was present in the ward and the local BJD leaders. Later one of the leaders slapped the doctor asking him to behave properly, sources said.   

According to the eyewitnesses the situation was gone out of hand when hundreds of student rushed to the spot and started attacking the leaders. The students caught hold the victims when they tried to escape from the spot. The students beat them mercilessly chasing behind them.  Every one present in the hospital became panic seeing the scene. People ran hear and there with out knowing what was happening. The attack was continued for half an hour till the arrival of the police.” We came and rescued the injured in a critical condition. They were soon admitted in a private nursing home”, an officer of Burla police station said.    

On the other hand, apprehending further law and order situation armed police have been deployed in the college campus. Police officials have directed the students not to go out side the college campus. “We are inside the college campus as we do not have security arrangement in the hostels. We demand proper security arrangement in the hospital and hostel premises. We have decided to go for complete cease work from Thursday in protest against the regular attack on doctors and students”, a student of the college said.

Meanwhile, the district BJD president Rohit Pujari, terming the incident as ‘unfortunate’ has demanded action against the erring students who attacked his party colleagues. “We have asked the district administration to take stringent against the students those are involved in the attack”, Pujari said.

  

woman died fasting for a child in temple

photo credit : Bhimsen pradhan

All rituals of famous Jhadeswar temple of Deogarh was come to a total halt on Monday after a lady died inside the temple that was on a fast (adhia) seeking the divine to become a mother. The lady was on fast over the last 15 days. The temple committee informed the police and closed the temple for devotee in view of the unfortunate incident. She wished to have a child with the divine blessing. “In the morning when I opened the temple I found her motionless. I informed the temple committee and police about the incident” the priest of the temple Sambaru Mahapatra said.

The lady identified as Lili Biswal (30) was married to Ranjan Biswal of Mendipali under Deogarh district 8 years back. But she was issueless despite her regular medical check up and treatment. Finally she took the decision of practice the fasting inside the temple to make her desire fruitful with the blessing of lord Shiva.  “It is a regular practice here in the temple. Devotees get their desire fruitful in the temple”, Mahapatra said.

According to him, the temple that was built in 18^th century under the patronage of local king is a famous temple of the region where devotees across Orissa and Chhattisgarh visit regularly to have the blessing of lord Shiva.  

On the other hand, devotees coming to pay Darsan were disappointed because of the unfortunate incident happened on Monday. However the temple was reopened for devotees only in the evening after Mahasnana and homa of lord Shiva. “We conducted series of pujas after mahasnana of lord Shiva. Temple was opened only after completion of Homa”, a member of the managing committee of the temple said.   Meanwhile police handed over the body of the lady to her family after conducting autopsy. Police registered one unnatural case in this regard. 

With 'Ratha Chhuan' chariots roll down on Sambalpur streets

Ratha Chhuan tradition 

As the the chariot of Lord Jagannath was rolling down the streets of Modipara in Sambalpur town on  Sunday, many people, including the youngsters, were disappointed not to see the dancing action of the girls, who are specially invited from outside to dance in front of the chariot.

To pay respect to the feelings of a large number of devotees and intellectuals of the town, the members of temple management committee had decided to completely strike-out dancing item from the Ratha Yatra celebration from this year.The committee decides to organize week long cultural programme in front of the temple during the period to make the celebration more attractive. The committee members described that it was a difficult task to change an age-old tradition “but for the greater interest of the society and to pay respect to the feeling of the devotees, such a decision was quite justified,” the head priest of the Modipara Jagannath temple, Byamokesh Panda, said.

The priest said that dancing in front of the chariot during Ratha Yatra was a long tradition for Modipara yatra. No one knows when such a tradition was attached with Modipara Ratha yatra, he said, but due to the this many a time the organisers face difficulties because of law and order situation. The administration was not in favour of it either, because of the law and order problems. “Last year, we took this decision on experimental basis. Looking to the overwhelming response from the people we decide to change the tradition of dance during Ratha Yatra,” Panda said.

Meanwhile, Ratha Yatra celebrations, that began on Sunday will continue till Monday evening as celebration continues for two days in Sambalpur. All chariots that remain halfway at Municipality chowk on the first day,  are taken to Mausimaa temple at Binakhandi on the  second day. There are more than 20 places in Sambalpur town where Ratha Yatra is being celebrated. The chariots are pulled down by the devotees one after another in sequence. The Chariot of Barhampura temple of Jharuapara leads others.

“Ratha Yatra in Sambalpur has certain unique character. When every where yatra completes on a single day, in Sambalpur it takes two days,” pundit Amaranth Mishra said.On the other hand, the ‘Ratha Chhuan’(touching chariot) is a tradition that is seen only in western part of the state. Kids of above one year and bellow 2 years are taken to the chariots to get the blessing of lord Jagannath. Children are lifted to the chariots by the priest from the parents who wait in lines near the chariot. 

“This is an old tradition which reflects the faith and believes of the people on lord Jagannath. There is a strong believe that child will lead a prosperous life with lord’s blessing," social activist, Bhagawat Nanda, said.Meanwhile the Ratha Yatra was also organized in Bhatli of Bargarh district where Lord Ladhibaban was mounted on the chariot. The shrine of Bhatli is also known as srikhetra of western Orissa. Ratha Yatra was also performed at Kotsamalai in Sonepur district  which is famous as Patali strikhetra.

Jharsuguda rocked with firing , one shot dead

One person was shot dead and two other seriously injured in two different firing incidents that rocked the people of Jharusuguda town on Sunday. Though police claimed to have identified the accused persons they failed to arrest them.The injured were admitted in hospital in a very critical condition. Police has registered cases against the culprits. The deceased has been identified as M Srinivas Rao, who was supplying building materials in the town.

Police sources said, two miscreants came on a bike and shot at Rao from a point blank range near his house at doubling colony. Rao died on the spot.In another incident, miscreants went to a petrol pump near Beheramal of the town (kedia fuels) and decamped with the cash bag from one of the employee engaged in the pump on gun point. The salesman identified Birendra Kumar was injured when one of the accused pounced the pistol on his head. He was admitted in hospital in a critical condition.Again in the evening one businessman was shot from a point blank range by two unidentified person when he was in his shop located at Behramal area of Jharsuguda town. The businessman identified as Pradeep Nayak was engaged in scrap business. Police sources said the miscreants came to the shop and inquired about Gandhi, who was associated with his business. They fired at Pradeep mistaking him as Gandhi. Pradeep was rescued in a critical condition and shifted to VSS Medical college Hospital, Burla where he battles with life.

Police claimed to have identified the accused persons and detained 3 persons for interrogation. However, police refused to divulge anything more about the accused in view of the investigation. “We have already identified the accused persons involved in all three occurrences but at present we are not in a position to disclose their names,” police superintendent of Jharusugda, Dayal Gangwar, said.

School runs with out teacher, students protested blocking the road

 While the mass education department of the state is busy in regulating dress code for teachers, people express concern about the diminishing standard of education in government-run schools in the state, especially in interior pockets where several school runs without teachers.

The incident that took place in Lulunga village of Debagad district on Saturday has expressed the precarious condition of mass education department. Students here locked the high school and moved to highway protesting against the injustice of the department. They blocked the NH 200 for more than 7 hours demanding an immediate appointment of teachers. The students called off their protest following the assurance of the officials of the mass education department that their problem will be taken care of.

“It is a shier negligence of government towards the high school. Though it was established 3 years back, the school runs without a teacher. We do not want to spoil our future. So we have decided to take up the issue in order to highlight the injustice," one of the students, who was also a part of protest, said.

Villagers said, the education of high school that has more than 130 students in standard IIIV, IX and X standards is disturbed because of non-appointment of teachers. Blaming government for the prevailing problem, the locals allege that the school does not have regular study hours. They said that teachers of the UGME School located nearby come to teach the students when they get time.

“We realized the worsening condition of school when only 4 students became successful in HSC examination out on 34 that appeared the examination this year. We took several attempts to convince mass education officials; they were never serious. So we came to highway with these students to protest," the village sarapanch Manoj Ranjan Dalai who was present with the students said.

The District Inspector of school (Debagad) Santosh Roul, however, visited the spot in the afternoon to discuss the issue with students and guardians. He assured to take step for the posting teachers in the school within a week and requested the villagers to call off the agitation. “More or less this situation is same in whole district. Due to shortage of teacher we are unable to fill up the vacancies. However, I have assured to take step to appoint a teacher in the school immediately," Roul said.

Muslim family takes up Ratha Tatra in Orissa

Car festival, the Ratha Yatra is perhaps the biggest festival that is performed by the people in every nook and corner of Orissa. But it is the Puri festival that attracts every one who wishes to visit and to take part in the annual outing of Lord Jagannath, the lord of Universe. But when devotees other than Hindu are still forbidden to enter the Puri shrine, here is a village in Jharsuguda district where a family belongs to Muslim community patronages the village Ratha Yatra through generations. Surprisingly the head of the family even does chhera pahara (sweeping before lord Jagannath) ritual during the festival. This has become a tradition of the Muslim family to organise the festival over last two decades.

He being the gountia (head) of the village, Mohammad Zamil-ul-lah feels it is the duty of his family to take part in each and every festival that is celebrated in the village. “I belong to Muslim community but since I am the gountia of the village I am doing what my fore-fathers used to do in the past,” said Mohammad Zamir-ul-lah.Being a devotee of Lord Jagannath, he feels proud for the rich tradition of his family. Because of such a noble tradition of his family, the villagers give equal importance to the festival of both communities. 

“In our village, we give equal importance to all the festivals whether it is Nuakhai or Eid. We take part in their festival and vice versa. This has become a tradition of the village,” told a villager Madhav Chandra Rana. The village that is well-known as Remanda near by Brajarajnagar town in Jharsuguda district, just 90 km from Sambalpur has never experienced any communal tension because of such a noble tradition.But when Ratha Yatra is celebrated on Twitiya (2nd day of month of Ashadha), here in Remanda, the chariot of Lord Jagannath rolls after 3 days i.e. on Panchami tithi (5th day of month of Ashadha) “Earlier we used to borrow idol from nearby villages so for their convenient we purposefully delayed the function. But the tradition remains the same although now we have our own idols Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra,” Gountia Mohammad Zamil-ul-lah saidAccording to him, he had witnessed the ritual of performing Ratha Yatra by his family when he was a kid. He still remembers how his grand father and father used to organise the Ratha Yatra in his village. “And this has put an impact on me I became a follower of  lord Jagannath when I grew up,” he said. 

Ratha Yatra was first organised by his great grand father Md. Masud Ali after he was appointed as the gountia of the village by the British ruler. Since then Yatra becomes the annual festival under the patronage of the Muslim family. But it is Zamir-ul-lah who started performing chhera-pahara during Ratha Yatra since 1984, a year after the death of his father Khalil Gountia. All members of the Gountia family take active part in the organisation ofRatha Yatra in the village. They feel it as their own culture. “We celebrate every festival in our village as we never differentiate between the festivals of both communities,” concluded Wakilur Nisha, wife of gountia Zamir-ul-lah.

  

lawyers launched economic blockade demanding high court bench

trucks are piles 
on the highway

Sambalpur lawyers have launched ‘economic blockade’ to make the ongoing agitation, demand of high court bench in western Orissa, more vibrant and forceful. The lawyers said they took this decision when they did not see any positive response of the state government despite of their repeated demand. The lawyers blocked the National highway at Ainthapali on Thursday and did not allow the movement of loaded carriers passing through the route. 

The ‘blockade’ that was continued from dawn to dust caused huge loss to the industrial houses because of non-transportation of coals and raw materials. Though elaborate police arrangement was made in view of the agitation, administration did not take any attempt to confront the lawyers. “Since agitation was in a peaceful manner, we did not try to confront them as there was possibility of serious law and order situation,” a senior police officer DK Deo said.

The lawyers on the other hand criticised the ‘indifferent’ attitude of the state government on high court bench issue. They warned the government to create severe law and order situation in future, if the government does not take steps to mitigate their demand. “High court bench is a genuine demand for the people of western Orissa. Decentralization of judiciary becomes talk of the day. But we do not understand why government is deliberately ignore the issue”, senior lawyer Satya Narayan Panda said.  

Sources said hundreds of lawyers assembled at Ainthapali Chowk at National highway 6 (Mumbai-Calcutta) in the morning on Thursday and started blocking the road. They did not allow a single truck to pass on the route. However passenger buses and school buses along with cars were not included in the blockade. Hundreds of truck stranded on the both sides of the road. “We have taken this decision to create a pressure on the state government as the government never takes the issue seriously. No we warned the government to take immediate step in this regards or we will continue such blockade days together in future”, president of the Sambalpur Bar Association Pramod Rath said. According to him, the demand of high court bench is a long pending demand. “Earlier government adopted divide and rule policy to delay the issue. But now when lawyer community of the region has united, government is trying to ignore it by shifting the responsibility to the centre,” Rath added.
Earlier on Wednesday the lawyers had closed down the banks and other financial institutions of the town in support of their demand. As a result of which no transaction was possible in banking sectors on Wednesday.