The Hindu : National : Marathoner Budhia Singh stopped in his tracks

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Thursday, Jun 07, 2007
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Marathoner Budhia Singh stopped in his tracks

Satyasundar Barik

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

RESTRAINED: Budhia Singh being stopped by the police in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday morning.

BHUBANESWAR: On the strength of a ban order imposed by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Khurda district, the Orissa Police on Wednesday prevented child marathoner Budhia Singh from starting a 500-km walkathon from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata.

The six-year-old prodigy was scheduled to start the journey around 9 a.m. from the Bhanja Kala Mandap premises here. The police, which were informed about the ban order on Tuesday evening, stopped him.

Protesting the police's stance, the child, his mother Sukanti Singh, and supporters sat in a dharna.

Supporters of Biranchi Das, who claimed to be the foster-father of Budhia Singh, shouted slogans against the CWC and scuffled with the police. They complained that that the CWC had not intimated them about the ban order.

A heated argument between top police officers and Budhia's lawyers followed. Meanwhile, attempts were made to start the walkathon. The police barricaded the venue and asked Mr. Das to get the CWC order quashed before such a journey could be allowed. The CWC order said that "the child, Budhia, shall not be subjected to walking by anybody in any manner in the scheduled long distance walking event from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata starting from June 6." The committee said anybody having custody or control over the child exposing him to such cruelty or harassment would amount to an offence under Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

Mr. Das said the CWC's order was "one-sided." He said: "Budhia's participation was honorary. He was to walk a small distance. So there is no question of exposing the child to any cruelty. The proposal for a 500-km walkathon is on. We will move the court for a quashing of the order."

Budhia's supporters threatened to continue the dharna until the ban order is quashed. A petition had been filed before the District and Sessions Judge, Khurda, on behalf Budhia, terming the CWC's ban order arbitrary, counsel for the child Bibhu Prasad Tripathy said.

Budhia had created a sensation and a controversy on May 2, 2006 when he ran non-stop from Puri to Bhubaneswar covering a distance of over 65 km.

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