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Cuttack, May 14: The Orissa High Court has asked for a detailed report within eight weeks on relief material provided by the state government after Cyclone Phailin hit Orissa in 2013.
The HC asked the government to file a report on supply of cooked food to those affected by the cyclone. Several politicians and activists alleged massive irregularities in distribution of relief material in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin. Earlier in December 2013, six persons who had lodged a police complaint in the matter had filed a petition in the High Court seeking a directive for registration of their FIR on embezzlement of cyclone relief material.
| The six petitioners, all residents of the city, are Ashok Kumar Samal, Sakya Singh Mishra, Rajkishore Singh, Rabi Ranjan Sahoo, Braja Kishore Biswal and Debi Ray. They filed the complaint October 21, 2013 at Purighat police station under the banner of the Cuttack Mahanagar Nagarika Committee. October 29, they had moved the Cuttack deputy commissioner of police against the inspector in-charge of Purighat police station for his inaction on the complaint that alleged cognisable offences (embezzlement of cyclone relief materials) by some councillors of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation. |
“A case of this nature where relief material meant for the helpless and the poor were looted, plundered and misappropriated needs special attention for investigation. But it appears that the police instead of acting according to the law has looked the other way to screen the culprits,” the petition, filed through advocate Satyabrata Pradhan, alleged. Since the police have not registered the FIR, the petitioners have moved the HC seeking a directive to register cases under Sections 379 (theft), 420 (cheating) and 403 (misappropriation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the councillors.
Incidentally, after the petition was filed in the HC December 9, 2013, the state Vigilance, on the same day, registered cases against four corporation officials for alleged misappropriation of relief material. The cases were registered against then civic body commissioner Nihar Ranjan Mohapatra, deputy commissioner JM Kujur, deputy secretary Nirmal Nayak and recovery officer Bijay Das for violating the relief code under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the IPC.
