The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday directed the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police, Kendrapada to submit an additional report within four weeks in the light of adverse remarks on their first report pertaining to begging by a hapless female members of a family to cremate body of a deceased member, by the complainant, who is an RTI activist.

The female members had to take recourse in begging as their earning male members were arrested by police and put behind bars in connection with their involvement in a demonstration over a mega piped water project at Barunadiha.

RTI activist, Pratap Chandra Mohanty’s alleged that the report submitted by the SP of Kendrapada was a frivolous one.

“The SP has not properly conducted an inquiry in the matter and has submitted a frivolous report as the claim made by the authority in the report that the bereaved family had a good source of income from tent house business and supplying generator sets etc, is far from reality,” said activist Mohanty.

Notably, the Commission vide its proceedings on 26.04.2022 had directed Mohanty who is the complainant to submit his comment on a report dated 09.03.2022 of the Superintendent of Police, Kendrapada. In the report, the SP of Kendrapada stated that the inquiry in the case revealed that on account of the alleged protest, a case was registered at Rajkanika police station against 22 accused persons who were arrested as per rules.

It stated further that the allegation of begging by the family members of the deceased is nothing but a malicious intention to put pressure on the district administration and police to get a favour in respect of the accused persons in the Kendrapada Sub Jail.