RTI Activist was
mercilessly beaten up, arrested and put
behind bar in Angul district, Odisha
mercilessly beaten up, arrested and put
behind bar in Angul district, Odisha
Pradeep Kumar Sahu, Recipient of best volunteer award from Chief Minister, National
Youth Awardee and renowned RTI
Activist was manhandled , then beaten up mercilessly by the
forest officials of DFO Office,
Angul on his visit to the said office to file RTI Application on 9.5.18. Later he was arrested by the police
on FIR lodged by officials in
connivance with police, but his first FIR was ignored by the Inspector-in-Charge, Angul police
station. On 11.6.18, Sri Pradeep
Sahu has filed two petitions to Odisha
Human Rights Commission and Odisha Information Commission seeking justice.
Youth Awardee and renowned RTI
Activist was manhandled , then beaten up mercilessly by the
forest officials of DFO Office,
Angul on his visit to the said office to file RTI Application on 9.5.18. Later he was arrested by the police
on FIR lodged by officials in
connivance with police, but his first FIR was ignored by the Inspector-in-Charge, Angul police
station. On 11.6.18, Sri Pradeep
Sahu has filed two petitions to Odisha
Human Rights Commission and Odisha Information Commission seeking justice.
Details of incident leading to attack and arrest of RTI Activist
·
On 9.5.18, Pradeep along with
his Activist-friend Jitendra
Samal had gone to the office of
Divisional Forest Officer, Angul to
submit RTI Application and met Basudev
Nayak, ACF and discussed with him about purpose of their visit. Time
was around 9.15 AM. During discussion with ACF, they asked for information of
other RTI Applications submitted earlier. It is to be mentioned here that since huge corruption, irregularities and misappropriation of crores of rupees sanctioned for plantation and forest development
project is going on , Pradeep and local people
are using RTI to expose it and
they have also filed a number of
complaints to Director, Vigilance, PCCF, Odisha
for inquiry. However, having seen another RTI Application on
another corruption issue, Sri Nayak, ACF got irritated and started rebuking them using slang language ( Haireshala tume kuade
asichha ………………). Then he immediately
shouted and called his staff to teach them lession. Immediately few staff of
DFO office reached in the spot , gheraoed and started beating them black and
white. They kicked like anything and
strangulated them. Though they tried to
retaliate them, they could not
succeed. It
continued for two hours. At last the
police reached and rescued them.
On 9.5.18, Pradeep along with
his Activist-friend Jitendra
Samal had gone to the office of
Divisional Forest Officer, Angul to
submit RTI Application and met Basudev
Nayak, ACF and discussed with him about purpose of their visit. Time
was around 9.15 AM. During discussion with ACF, they asked for information of
other RTI Applications submitted earlier. It is to be mentioned here that since huge corruption, irregularities and misappropriation of crores of rupees sanctioned for plantation and forest development
project is going on , Pradeep and local people
are using RTI to expose it and
they have also filed a number of
complaints to Director, Vigilance, PCCF, Odisha
for inquiry. However, having seen another RTI Application on
another corruption issue, Sri Nayak, ACF got irritated and started rebuking them using slang language ( Haireshala tume kuade
asichha ………………). Then he immediately
shouted and called his staff to teach them lession. Immediately few staff of
DFO office reached in the spot , gheraoed and started beating them black and
white. They kicked like anything and
strangulated them. Though they tried to
retaliate them, they could not
succeed. It
continued for two hours. At last the
police reached and rescued them.
·
After reaching in police
station, they filed FIR in Angul Police
station. The Inspector-in-Charge
received their complaint but did not
register the case. But they were held up
by the police in Police station.
After reaching in police
station, they filed FIR in Angul Police
station. The Inspector-in-Charge
received their complaint but did not
register the case. But they were held up
by the police in Police station.
·
Just after few minutes of our
FIR being filed, Sri Basudev Nayak along
with few staff reached in the police
station and filed counter FIR against Pradeep leveling unnecessary false charges against them. He alleged that they put fist
blow to his neck and Jitendra held his hands and threatened to murder him.
Astonishingly, the IIC, Angul immediately registered their FIR and within hours
produced them before the court of SDJM, Angul
who refused to grant bail and forwarded them to jail. They got released
on bail after 20 days of custody.
Just after few minutes of our
FIR being filed, Sri Basudev Nayak along
with few staff reached in the police
station and filed counter FIR against Pradeep leveling unnecessary false charges against them. He alleged that they put fist
blow to his neck and Jitendra held his hands and threatened to murder him.
Astonishingly, the IIC, Angul immediately registered their FIR and within hours
produced them before the court of SDJM, Angul
who refused to grant bail and forwarded them to jail. They got released
on bail after 20 days of custody.
·
Pradeep is social Activist.
Since last few years, he along with his friends have been using RTI to expose corruption and give justice to the
poor people in Angul district. He has
been awarded Prakruti Mitra award by district administration for his
outstanding work in the field of
protection of forest, While working with forest protecting groups, he has come across huge corruption and irregularities in forest development project and plantation. To fight out corruption, he has been using
RTI in different offices including DFO office.
Pradeep is social Activist.
Since last few years, he along with his friends have been using RTI to expose corruption and give justice to the
poor people in Angul district. He has
been awarded Prakruti Mitra award by district administration for his
outstanding work in the field of
protection of forest, While working with forest protecting groups, he has come across huge corruption and irregularities in forest development project and plantation. To fight out corruption, he has been using
RTI in different offices including DFO office.
·
Being disturbed over his
repeated expose about corruption and subsequent filling of plethora of
complaints demanding inquiry, the staff of DFO office and more particularly ACF have got vindictive
and conspired to attack him several times. 9.5.18 was an faithful day for him
to execute his conspiracy and to take
revenge against Pradeep and his friend Jitendra.
Being disturbed over his
repeated expose about corruption and subsequent filling of plethora of
complaints demanding inquiry, the staff of DFO office and more particularly ACF have got vindictive
and conspired to attack him several times. 9.5.18 was an faithful day for him
to execute his conspiracy and to take
revenge against Pradeep and his friend Jitendra.
·
Pradeep has filed complaint to
OHRC and Odisha Information Commission seeking inquiry and quick action against
the culprits.
Pradeep has filed complaint to
OHRC and Odisha Information Commission seeking inquiry and quick action against
the culprits.
Pradeep Sahu can be contacted M-9937439848
Pradip
Pradhan
Pradhan
RTI
Activist
Activist
State
Convener, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan
Convener, Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan
M-9937843482
