NCST member visits Sambalpur but fails to meet deceased tribal man’s family

Sambalpur: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Member Ananta Nayak visited violence-hit Sambalpur, but failed to meet the family members of a tribal man who was murdered on April 14 night in Sambalpur.

However, the commission member met the injured person on Tuesday and talked to him about the attack on April 14 night when the Hanuman Jayanti procession was being held in the city.

While Nayak could not meet the family of the deceased Chandrakanta Mirdha at Jharmunda village as the house was lying locked, he interacted with Biswanath Sikka alias Kalia of Bhawanipali, who was injured in the incident.

Mirdha died after he was attacked by miscreants under the town police station area in the city when the Hanuman Jayanti procession was going on in Sambalpur on April 14, following which curfew was imposed in the city.

Police, however, said that the murder was not connected with the tension that sparked in Sambalpur following the attack on the bike rally of Hanuman Jayanti procession on April 12. Police have also arrested six persons in connection with the incident.

Addressing media persons, Nayak said, "I could not meet the family of the deceased Chandrakant Mirdah at Jharmunda. I was told that the family had gone to Ganga for 'Asthi visarjan'. However, I discussed it with the other people in the village. The family of the deceased has been given Rs 4.62 lakh compensation so far as per the government provision for victim of atrocity." "But I called on the eye-witness of the incident at Bhabanipali and interacted with him. We made a field visit today (Tuesday). We will prepare a report. We will also study the report of the district administration and following which all the reports will be sent to the President of India", he said.

Nayak, however, said, many people complained that tribal rituals were not followed while performing the last rites of the Chandrakant Mirdha. This has hurt the tribal community, he said.

On the absence of the Mirdha family, Sambalpur Collector Ananya Das said: "I understand they have gone somewhere for the last rites of the deceased man." Meanwhile, with considerable improvement in the situation, the district administration of Sambalpur has further relaxed the curfew in the western Odisha city.

Curfew had been relaxed by two more hours in Sambalpur which witnessed clashes on April 12 and April 14 during celebration of Hanuman Jayanti. Relaxation will now be given from 5 am to till 10 pm from Tuesday, the Sambalpur Collector said.

Earlier, the curfew relaxation was available from 5 am to 8 pm.

The police have arrested around 100 people in connection with the violence, sources said.