OHRC seeks reports on police ‘excesses’ against tribals in Nayagarh

Bhubaneswar, Sep 1 The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the Collector and Superintendent of Police, Nayagarh district, to submit separate reports over the allegations of police excess against tribal people and the filing of false cases against them at the behest of one influential person hailing from Bhubaneswar.

Acting upon a plea filed by rights activist Himanshu Sekhar Nayak, the OHRC has asked the authorities to submit the factual reports to the commission by November 18, 2025.

Nayak, in his petition, alleged that on May 5, 2025, as many as 30 people of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community were arrested by Chandpur Police under Nayagarh district in a false case for opposing the land mafias from encroaching government land as well as illegal excavation of minor minerals in the locality.

He also mentioned that one influential person from the Patia area of Bhubaneswar purchased a few acres of land at Kusupalla Mouza under Chandpur Police limits in Nayagarh District.

“But, he has illegally encroached on hundreds of acres of land belonging to tribal communities as well as Government land, which are highly objectionable,” alleged Nayak.

The activist also alleged in his complaint that on May 3, some associates of the alleged land mafia reportedly attacked the gullible tribals in Kusupalla village who opposed the attempt to encroach on the land belonging to tribals.

“When the innocent tribal people opposed them, the mafia attacked with deadly weapons in full public glare. It has been a pattern to implicate tribal people in false cases and to attack them brutally,” Nayak accused.

He claimed that when the tribals went to the Chandpur police station to file a case against the accused persons, the police instead arrested the tribals based on the false case lodged by the ‘land mafia’.

After coming to know about the incident, the activist approached the OHRC demanding a judicial probe into the incident and financial compensation to the victim tribals, etc.

--IANS

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