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August 4, 2026

Two accused arrested in attack on a 10 -year son of RTI Activist

After long fight, two accused were arrested by the police in
connection with merciless attack on a 10 year old son of RTI Activist of
Kendrapara district, Odisha

On 20.6.16, two accused namely Sri Pravat Kumar Sahu,
Chairman, School Management Committee of Udayabata Upper Primary School,
Bhagaban Pur and Dipu  Nayak, a criminal
of  Kunarapal village,  were arrested and forwarded to jail by  Marshaghai police in connection with
merciless attack on a 10 year old son of RTI Activist of Kendrapara district,
Odisha. But astonishingly, the police have not been able to arrest 4 to 5 main
accused dreaded criminals who had masterminded this attack on Suvam Rout, a 10
year old boy on 10.5.16, when he was asleep in the night.  They have escaped from the area due to
negligence of the police to arrest them at the primary stage.

This unfortunate
incident has its background.
That Sri Kalandi Nayak , a poor villager    of Marshaghai Block of Kendrapara district  who happens 
to be member of Udayabata Upper Primary School found  misappropriation of  around Rs. 15 lakh fund in repair of  Udayabata Upper Primary School and
mismanagement of  fund for  Mid-Day-Meal by the Head Master of the
School, Block Education Officer  and other
officials. He  used RTI  extensively 
filling series of application to different offices  to unearth 
truth and find  out  the 
details of  information  about 
the fund sanctioned and utilised  along
with copy of bill and vouchures by the Head Master  and Chairman, School Management  Committee. With the incomplete  information provided  to him, he filed a number of complaints
to  different offices  like 
Collector, District Project Coordinator, Kendrapara, Dept. of
School  and Mass Education, Govt. of  Odisha and Director, State  Vigilance, Cuttack.       The whole administration including local  political leaders  of ruling party  got disturbed  and tried to convince him to withdraw the
application and  complaint petitions.
When Sri Kalandi remained determined to pursue the application and also filed
first appeal petition   by the PIO, office of Block Education Officer,
he received a lot of threats call   of
murder from different people.      He has
also got the information that a coterie of powerful people including Chairman,
Marshaghai Block and Officials and Contractors are getting organised to attack
him at anytime. As kalandi remained determined 
to fight it out,  the  coterie 
of teachers, contractors  and
corrupt  officials got  organised and 
conspired  to murder  him and his 10 year  old son. On 10.5.16, they entered into his house
in mid-night and attacked his son Suvam mercilessly with dreaded weapon. Suvam
lost his sense and his head was found bleeding profusely. Besides taking steps
to ensure admission of his  severely injured
child in hospital, Kalandi filed an FIR in Marshaghai police station (IIC  Mobile No- 9437523699) on 12.5.16.
 The Inspector-In-Charge, Marshaghai
police station did not take any steps  to
investigate  into the matter.    

How the issue got
cropped up ?

District Convention  of Odisha Soohana Adhikar Abhijan  was   organised 
in Kendrapara on 22.5.16.
  All
the  RTI Activists of Kendrapara district
including Pradip Pradhan, State Convener and Sri Sudhir Mohanty, advocate  and Advisor of OSAA  had participated   in the convention. Getting  the 
information about  convention, Sri
Kalandi Nayak  joined  in the convention  ad narrated 
his story  of  suffering and negligence of police  to arrest 
the  culprits. It was   resolved 
 in the convention to take up the
issue  and fight it out at logical
end.  The sequence  of events 
in respect of  steps  taken 
by Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan 
to give justice to Kalandi  is as
follows.

1. On 25.5.16, a fact-finding  team
 comprising Pradip Pradhan, Sudhir
Mohanty, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Pratap Sahu, Rohan Mohanty, Debesh Das
visited  S.C.B. Medical, Cuttack to  look into 
the  health  condition 
of Suvam  who was under
treatment  in Central ICU. The Team
met  HOD, Neurology and Associate Professors
and his mother and interacted  with
them  about health of the child. The
HOD  said 
that the child is out of danger and his health condition improving.

2. On 26.5.16, a complaint  case 
was filed  by the members of
fact-finding to  Acting Chairman, Odisha  Human Rights 
Commission, Satyanagar, Bhubaneswar  seeking 
immediate  order  to Director General of Police  to enquire into the matter  and to arrest the culprits,  Authority 
of S.C.B. Medical  to provide free
treatment  to  Suvam and award Rs. 5 lakh  compensation 
to  his family for the loss and
suffering.    The  Commission immediately registered the case  on same day 
( Registration No. 2114/2016 ) and issued notice to SP, Kendrapara  to enquire 
into the matter and submit action taken report  to the commission  within four week. The Superintendent, S.C.B.
Medical was instructed  to provide free
treatment to the child. The  Commission  has fixed 
dated 4.7.16  for  hearing of the case.

3. Finding  no visible progress into  investigation, a team of RTI Activists and
concerned  citizens met  District Collector  and SP, Kendrapara on 29.6.16  and submitted 
memorandum   demanding to  arrest the culprits immediately.

4. On 8.6.16, Mass Rally 
and demonstration was organised 
in Kedrapara  district  headquarter 
with participation of  hundreds of
Activists   condemning  police inaction and allous attitude  of 
district  administration to arrest
the   culprits  due to 
political pressure and demanding 
immediate arrest of the culprits. The rally  was led by Pradip Pradhan and Ranjan Kumar
Das, District Convener, OSAA. The 
Activists  held  day-long Dharana  in front of office of Collector,  Kendrapara and submitted memorandum  to  taken
action against  IIC, Marshaghai   for hobnobbing with  accused.

5. On 22.6.16
a  5-member  delegation 
of RTI Activists of OSAA  Sri
Pradip Pradhan, Sri Rohan Mohanty, Sri Sudhir Mohanty, Sri Sudhir Rout, Sri
Ranjan Kumar Das submitted 
memorandum  to Director General of
Police, Cuttack highlighting  nexus of
police  with criminals in Kendrapara
district, sabotaging  the
investigation  by the police  and demanding 
immediate arrest of the 
culprit.          

Pradip Pradhan



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