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NHRC team begins probe into Kandhamal violence

BHUBANESWAR: A three-member team of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday began inquiry into communal violence that hit Orissa’s Kandhamal district.

The team, led by Mukesh Singh, an IPS officer, would be visiting affected villages to collect the first hand information about the violence, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said while addressing a press conference here.

Mr. Tripathy said the NHRC team already had the first round of discussion with the district administration about the rehabilitation of victims and restoration of peace in the region. The team would meet top State-level officials and Director-General of Police after its return from the district, he said.

On its part, the Orissa police constituted a team of senior police officials to assess the law and order situation in the violence-hit Kandhamal district even as the State government claimed that normalcy returned in the region.

The three-member team started visiting different places to carry out assessment as to what needed to be done to bring back confidence in people, State Home Secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra said here. The team would stay there for two days, he said.

Inspector-General of Police A. K. Ray and Deputy Inspector-General of Police Arun Bothra were other two members of the team.

Meanwhile, the State government also requested the centre to extend deployment of paramilitary forces for another seven days till the normalcy was fully restored in Kandhamal district.

At present, six companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one company of Rapid Action Force have been engaged in the district to maintain the law and order.

Moreover, the State government revamped the State-level coordination committee on communal harmony that would meet for the first time here on Thursday after Kandhamal district witnessed a series of violence during the last fortnight.

Chief Secretary said the State police had registered as many as 112 cases and arrested 135 persons in connection with the violence. Damaged houses were identified to be 697 in 70 affected villages of the district, he said.

Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) registered its strong protest against apathy of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) and central Ministry for Minority Affairs in addressing the problems faced by Christians.

“More than 2500 villagers are still taking shelter in the three relief camps in Kandhamal district. The NCM failed to take stock of the miserable condition of the victims of terror living in relief camps fearing to return to their villages,” GCIC said.

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