Post News Network
Nayagarh, Dec 23: Tension ran high in the Aswasthpada village under the Town police limits here after villagers expelled a man and his family from the village community over a land dispute and laid thorny shrubs outside his house to prevent him and the members of his family from stepping outside, police said Tuesday.
The matter came to light after head of the family, Bijay Kumar Pradhan, lodged complaints with additional district magistrate (ADM) Rabindranath Sahu and the police Monday. Police rushed to the spot and removed the thorns and warned the villagers not to meddle in matters related to land dispute, which is the prerogative of law. Bijay has warned the villagers that he may lodge a complaint with the human rights commission too.
Bijay alleged that his uncles, Jogia Pradhan and Rajan Pradhan, all elder brothers of his father, had encroached upon one of his farmlands (Khata-17, plot-631 in Aswasthpada mouza) and been using it for over 30 years. He was unaware about the rights of landholding and only came to know about his ownership rights some 18 months ago. He had immediately lodged a complaint with the village committee demanding justice, but the latter instead of resolving the dispute insisted that he transferred the land in the name of his uncles. He earned its ire after he refused to oblige.
The committee members, nursing a grudge against him, have ostracized him from the village community since one-and-half month. He has been passing through a harrowing time since the committee members banned him from mingling with other members of the community and also barred him from participating in social functions. They had even banned him from using water from the village well and tube wells and making purchases from the local shops. Not to be satisfied with the restrictions they imposed on him, they even spread thorny shrubs in front of his house for defying their ruling. As a result of this his family members found it difficult to step outside the house.
When contacted ADM Sahu said action will be taken after conducting a probe. Town police IIC Narayan Chandra Barik said that the matter was subjudice and the court will take an appropriate view on it while police will take all steps to ensure maintenance of law and order in the village.
