Jajpur: Nanda Kishore Prusty, a centenarian teacher from Kantira village under Sukinda police limits of Jajpur and recipient of Padma Shri award, was allegedly threatened Sunday over a land dispute.
The elderly man’s son was thrashed over disagreement.
A source said that some miscreants stopped the son of the 104-year-old man (affectionately called Nanda Sir) on a road while he had gone out of his house to buy medicines for his father. The miscreants beat him up and threatened to do the same with his father, if the elderly man would not mend his ways and agree as they will instruct.
Later, some locals rescued the victim (Nanda Sir’s son) and rushed him to a nearby hospital for treatment, the source expressed.
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“A previously filed civil case pertaining to a land which was disputed by some fake claimants to be of their own was recently dismissed by a local court. Following which, I had started constructing a house over it. However, the other party which is claiming ownership attacked my father and threatened my grandfather Sunday afternoon,” Nanda Sir’s grandson Khageswar stated while speaking about the incident.
“I have lodged an FIR in this connection,” the grand-son added.
Sukinda police have initiated an investigation into the alleged incident of manhandling to nab the accused persons who are absconding.
“Two mobile phones have been seized from the houses of accused and are being scrutinised. We have launched a manhunt and they will be nabbed soon,” Sukinda police station IIC Shiva Behera said.
It is pertinent to mention, as many as six persons from Odisha were conferred with the Padma awards this year. The elderly man Nanda Sir was honoured with Padma Shri by the President of India.
Nanda Sir has been teaching the poor students from nearby villages free of charges in his chatasali (informal school) for 82 years.
Considering Nanda Sir’s lifelong dedication to educating the poor and downtrodden children and after the media became abuzz with it, the Central government has recently awarded the elderly teacher.
The centenarian teacher was felicitated with the award November 9, 2021 in New Delhi. Even at this age, he has not stopped teaching poor rural students and has set an example for many people.
PNN