Nayagarh: Two persons were arrested for humiliating and abusing a school teacher over a trivial issue at a kangaroo court at Balarampur village in Nayagarh district, police said Sunday.
The arrest was made Saturday after the victim, Sridhar Nayak of Patachandiprasad Project Upper Primary (UP) School and a native of Badapandusar village under this block, lodged a complaint before the police that a kangaroo court in the village tortured him, said IIC Saroj Kumar Sahoo.
The accused Mayadhar Pradhan and his son Sanjay Pradhan were produced in court after their arrest.
The teacher, in his FIR filed October 21, alleged that he was forced to negotiate through the stretched legs of accused Mayadhar Pradhan at the kangaroo court the previous night as a punishment in connection with a minor altercation. Mayadhar’s son Sanjay Pradhan even made a video of the indignity and uploaded it on social media, he said.
Though the teacher tendered an apology as directed by the kangaroo court for the earlier incident, he was subjected to inhuman treatment by the villagers who were armed, the police officer said. The mobile phone of Sanjay and the CD was seized. A manhunt has been launched to nab the other accused, the IIC said.
The incident sparked widespread uproar in the district which people said is an imitation of khap panchayats in north India.
The incident occurred October 17 Monday when a village court at Balarampur under this district brutally tortured Sridhar and made him to go under the stretched legs of Pradhan.
What made the matter worse is that one of the accused Sanjay Pradhan even prepared a video of the punishment meted out to Sridhar and uploaded it on Whatsapp before sharing it with all villagers.
The incident has left a deep scar in Nayak’s mind. Apprehending threat to his life and his family, he locked themselves inside their house. He claimed that the accused threatened him to withdraw the complaint. He has sought justice and security to his life.
According to reports, Sridhar’s nephew had a spat with Biranchi Kumar Pradhan of Bijipur
under Sarankul (Jahnipada) panchayat October 16, Sunday. Sridhar intervened and resolved their dispute.
The next day Biranchi’s uncle Mayadhar Pradhan and cousin Sanjay Pradhan of Baunsiapada panchayat reached Sridhar’s house and hurled abuses at him. They even beat him up when he objected. Sridhar was going to the police station to lodge a complaint when some persons of Balarampur village waylaid him. They asked him not to go to the police station while assuring to resolve the matter at village meeting.
A meeting was held at night in Balarampur village where he was forced to kneel down. Village committee president Baidhar Nayak and others abused him besides throwing expletives at him.
Meanwhile, Balarampur village wore a deserted look Sunday after all male members fled apprehending police action. While two persons have been arrested, three others including the mastermind and village committee president Baridhar Nayak are at large. The panic stricken villagers have deleted the video from their mobile phones, it was learnt.
The Elementary Teachers’ Coordination Committee condemned the incident and warned of an agitation if the accused are not arrested soon, said association president Muralidhar Biswal during a meeting here Sunday. PNN
