HR violations are a common phenomenon in thick tribal regions of Odisha in comparison to coastal districts, where the politicians-police-businessman-Administrators nexus have beleaguered the social situation despite all the best intentions of the govt. to ensure social security. This was concluded during a recent study by the number of false police cases instituted in several thana of a tribal dist by human rights institutions. This speaks to the ill motive of police personnel in tribal districts of Odisha who might reprisal by filing false police cases to harass the innocents. It also stated that HR in Jharkhand bordering Odisha is more prone to grim, as lawlessness prevails there.
Giving details of the police cases the HR institutions have stated that these have already been reported to NHRC & SHRCs for taking remedial action. Many police stations in tribal areas are registering/have registered false police cases to silence the voice of common men at the behest of rich businessmen, politicians & administrators who prefer to 'use' the police as their conduit'.
This has resulted in several HR violations which include: Arrests of innocents, Putting them in Jail for no or flimsy reasons, Pressuring the lower /local judiciary to reject their bail applications, and not giving Chargesheets final forms, for years, decades altogether, thus causing the judicial process for long years without 'any output'. The result is: that common men and tribals suffer for no reason while the state's police are blamed and the perpetrators heave a sigh of relief for buckling their adversaries! Recently in the state's biggest tribal district, an SDJM court was found involved in nerve-shattering conspiratorial acts ever be imagined by anybody. All of a sudden before the Makarsankranti' at wintry midnight suddenly a police team raided the house of a journalist entering the house & grilled for hours. After a week of court opening days, it was found that the SDJM court had all of a sudden issued a non-bailable warrant against a journalist on a frivolous case instituted by a secretary of govt before 25 years ago. Now it raises serious questions that whether the case was triable or not or whether summons ever were issued by that court! Defying all the legal processes when the lower judiciary acted in a malafide, vested manner than the lower judiciary itself is the major cause of rising numbers of false cases on citizens.
It also documented several grassroots organizations' unimpeccable track records who have been blamed for 'using' the police by few' in govt so that it may not garner the 'necessary support to rise into a movement said the report. It also cited cases in, a small NGO promoting Good & Accountable Governance in a tribal dist has been backstabbed by a Commissioner & Collector by suddenly misusing the Police, seizing their bank accounts, and assets & putting them in a public light for years together which defies all the rule of law of the govt!
Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the chief strategists of the govt to former long back. Govt, Sri Pyarimohan Mohapatra said that the officials are looting & harassing innocents public instead of carrying out their duty for which they are getting their salary "(Times of India.16 Feb 2010) under the caption Pyari echoes graft charges in govt. offices!"
In many glaring instances despite the direction of top police brass, the delinquent officials are not arresting persons against whom several criminal & other cases are pending while they are venting their ire on many innocents & poor! There are instances that, for reasons as silly as parking vehicles in the lane, the police had forwarded persons to jail, although persons committed govt. Land records forgeries are openly moving under its' protection backtracking a regular payment from the delinquent. This proves that in tribal districts of Odisha, the main perpetrators of HR violations are:
the POLICE which had developed a penchant for its safety in corrupt elements of politicians-businessmen-officials. By using the police to 'serve' their interests they ride over others which is the first step in HR violations in tribal districts, said the study. Hundreds of innocent persons are being forwarded to jail for no reason in many districts & the study group sought protection for persons, institutions, or's, agencies working for HR in Odisha shall be extended with all sorts of legal protection, or else the corrupt officials may misuse police against innocents, to settle scores. The SHRC should ensure that no police officer shall remain for more than a considerable time in one post/dist as there is every chance that he may develop vested interests with corrupt elements of the area & would act contrary to the rule of law of our country. The study report said.