Cuttack: A petition has been filed with the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) seeking justice for an 18-year-old youth who was allegedly tied to a tree and beaten up brutally by a mob over a trivial issue in Banki area in March this year.
In his petition, rights activist Manoj Kumar Panda informed the state’s apex rights body that a few youths had tied up Tilu Patra to a coconut tree at Palaput village under Banki police limits, beat him up and filmed the gruesome episode March 24, 2019. And all to vent out their anger on Patra over a trifling issue during the Holi celebrations, Panda said.
“The mob thrashed Patra with iron rods, hammer and bamboo sticks too. And in the barbaric act, the youth received multiple head and other injuries. Almost all the villagers were mute spectators to the gruesome episode which continued for hours in full public view,” Panda’s petition reads.
“A profusely bleeding Patra was pleading for water, but none came to his rescue. A passerby even faced the wrath of the accused in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the youth,” Panda said.
Informed, Banki police reached the spot, untied an unconscious Patra and rushed him to a nearby healthcare facility, the petitioner added.
“Even as more than 25 days have passed to the incident, Banki police is yet to make any progress into the incident. As a result, Patra’s tormentors are roaming in free,” the petitioner pointed out, requesting OHRC to order an independent probe so as to deliver justice to the young man.
When asked, Banki inspector in-charge (IIC) Samir Kumar Panda, however, feigned ignorance about the incident. “I couldn’t recall any such incident, but will definitely check with the police officials and revert,” Panda said.
