INDIA: Police shooting leaves nine protestors dead in Orissa; policeman also killed in the incident 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal, about the police shootout at protestors in Orissa, India which has resulted in the confirmed death of nine persons. There are also reports from various sources that the total death toll will be at least 16.

It is alleged that on 2 January 2006, the protestors, mostly members of the indigenous communities of Chandia, Gobarghati and Champaloila villages of Jaipur district Orissa were protesting against improper compensation paid for acquiring their land for a project to be undertaken by the industrial giant Tata Iron & Steel Company (TISCO) at Kalinga Nagar, in Jaipur district, Orissa. It is also alleged that the protestors clashed with the police, who were also present. The police then fired to disperse the protestors, resulting in nine confirmed deaths and several persons injured.  A police constable was also killed in the incident, allegedly by one of the protestors. Those who were killed were subject to postmortem examination and it is alleged that when the bodies were handed over to the relatives the palms from all nine bodies were removed during the autopsy procedure.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned about this case and calls for your urgent intervention. The entire incident must be inquired into by an independent body. The allegation of inadequate and improper compensation along with reports that the palms of the deceased were removed during the autopsy must also be inquired into. There are allegations that the police used excessive force to disperse the crowd and the entire incident could have been avoided had the authorities intervened properly.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victims: Mr. Sudam Barla, Mr. Govind Laguni, Mr. Janga Jarika, Mr. Landu Jarika, Mr. Ati Jamuda, Mr. Mukuta Bankira, Mr. Dedghi Taria, Mr. Bhagat Sae, Mr. Ram Gagrai and Mr. Gopa Prasad Mohanty (police constable)
Date and place of the incident: 2 January 2006, at about 11.00 at Nuagaon village under Kalinga Nagar police station, Jajpur district, Orissa, India

Case details:

The Tata Iron & Steel Company (TISCO) is a huge steel plant at Nuagaon village in Jaipur district, Orissa. According to Indian laws the land acquisition is to be completed by the State Government for which the beneficiary will deposit the land value with the government, which the government must distribute among those who lose their land by the land acquisition. However, in Nuagaon, it is alleged that the Government failed to assess the land value properly and also further failed to reallocate land to those who lost land due to the acquisition. Most of those who lost land in Nuagaon are from the indigenous community in Orissa. It was to protest against this injustice the members from the indigenous communities and their supporters gathered at the venue of the inauguration of construction of the steel plant at Nuagaon on 2 January 2006.

It is reported that when the representatives from TISCO arrived at the venue, the protestors who had gathered at the venue, started raising slogans against the government and the company and were demanding proper rehabilitation and compensation. It is alleged that the group gathered at the venue were armed with tribal weapons, including bows and arrows. It is alleged that the group started attacking the police who were deployed at the venue to prevent the protestors from disrupting the function when the police tried to prevent the protestors from storming the venue. There is also an allegation that the police first attacked the protestors in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

It is reported that soon the protest and the attempt to prevent it became out of control which resulted in the police firing at the crowd to disperse it. It is also alleged that the crowd attacked the police, which resulted in the death of a constable, and therefore the police shot back in retaliation. Several others including the police and the protestors were injured in the incident.

The dead bodies were later transferred to hospital where postmortem examinations were carried out. It is alleged that the bodies when handed over to the relatives who found that the palms of the deceased were missing. When the relatives inquired with the authorities as to why this was the case, they were informed that the palms were removed to preserve the identity of the diseased. As of today the AHRC is informed that the state administration has announced compensation of Rs. 1,00,000.00 (USD 2,273) per person who died in the incident and also free medical aid to those who were injured.

In this context the AHRC would also like to bring to your attention that autopsy procedures in India are extremely crude and often not carried out in compliance with standards required for gathering scientific evidence. The AHRC during numerous occasions in the past has appealed that it is high time that the autopsy procedures in India are reviewed and changes introduced at least to the minimum level that the dead bodies are treated with respect.

Suggested action:

The AHRC is deeply concerned about this case and request your immediate intervention. Please write a letter to the addresses listed below expressing your concern about this case. The entire incident which led to the police firing and the allegations of inadequacy of compensation must be investigated by an independent body. Also the allegations regarding the crude procedures adopted at the autopsy must also be investigated.

 

 

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