A 20-year-old tribal woman in Odisha’s Bolangir district was allegedly assaulted and forced to consume human faeces on November 16 at Jurabandha village, within the jurisdiction of Bangamunda police station.
The assault happened after an altercation over damaged crops.
According to the reports, First Information Report (FIR), the accused, a non-tribal man, allegedly ran over a tractor on the woman’s agricultural land and damaged her crops. When she protested, she was reportedly assaulted and the man forcibly stuffed human faeces into her mouth.
According to the FIR, when the woman’s aunt intervened to rescue her, she too was allegedly assaulted by the accused.
BJD MP Niranjan Bisi, at a presser in Bhubaneswar, accused the police of failing to take any action against the perpetrator. The alleged lapse, according to him, has stirred anger among the tribal community. Bisi warned that if the law and order situation in Bangamunda worsens, the state government would be held responsible.
Bolangir Superintendent of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said the accused has been on the run since the incident. “We have formed two special teams that have been sent to neighbouring states to apprehend him,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the accused would be nabbed soon. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Gaurang Charan Sahu too confirmed that the accused is absconding. He also assured that efforts are underway to arrest him.
Outraged local tribal organizations are demanding prompt justice. Members of the Tribal Welfare Association have demanded that strict action be taken against the accused and warned of protests if the administration fails to act promptly.
This is not the isolated case of atrocities against tribals in Odisha. SC-ST Development Minister Nityananda Gond told the state assembly in September that a total of 572 women from the community have been victims of rape over the past five years in Odisha.
In a written response to a query from Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati, he said these 572 cases, registered during the past five years under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, involved victims from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities.
Of the 572 reported cases, trials have been completed in 32 and chargesheets have been filed in 509 cases. In addition, 31 cases are still under investigation.
