Dadhi Kadraka, an activist of Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti was arrested without a warrant and tortured for days which left him unable to walk
Bhubaneswar: Several democratic rights groups have condemned the illegal detention and custodial torture of Dadhi Kadraka, an activist of Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti (NSS) by Rayagada Police. They also protested against the threats to NSS advisor Lingaraj Azad by Superintendent of Police of Kalahandi District. He was reportedly being harassed to not organize any meeting or protest in the locality and was being forced to postpone the proposed rally against police brutality on October 23 at the district headquarter.
The rights group jointly described this as an attack on democratic rights of people and called it a state-sponsored attack on dissenting voices in the interest of corporates like Vedanta.
“It may be noted that on October 6, the police picked up Dadhi Kadraka, an activist of Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti from his village without any warrant and tortured him for four days and left him in a nearby police station on October 10. He is now unable to walk. On the other hand, the Superintendent of Police, Kalahandi District has been threatening to Lingaraj Azad, the advisor of Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti, not to organize any meeting, protest and rally against the administration. He even forced him to postpone the proposed rally on October 23 at Rayagada by NSS against the police brutality and unwarranted arrests of local tribes,” Narendra Mohanty, representative of the joint rights group said.
Various persons from different organisations like Prafulla Samantara from NAPM, Advocate Biswapriya Kanungo and Narendra Mohanty from Campaign Against Fabricated Cases(CAFC),Odisha, Radhakanta Sethi from All India People’s Forum(AIPF), Bhalachandra Sarangi from AIKKMS, Debaranjan from GASS, Srikant Mohanty from Chasi Mulia Sangh, Odisha, Pramodini Pradhan from PUCL, Satya Mahar from Sachetan Nagarik Manch, Kalahandi, Prashant Paikray from PPSS, Sini Sae from Bisthapan Birodhi Janamanch, Sukinda, Advocate Bansidhar Das from Committee for Release of Political Prisoners, Gopinath Majhi from CSD, Odisha, Balabhadra Mallick from Banabasi Surakshya Parisada, Kandhamal, Satish Mishra from INSAF have come together to represent the activist and condemn this state-sponsored attack on dissenting voices.
Dongria Kondhs are a vulnerable tribe that resides in Niyamgiri hills of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in Odisha and had received fame for fighting against bauxite mining in the area. The tribals have consistently been caught between the crossfire among Maoists in the area and the state police.