Orissa High Court

Cuttack, Jan. 9: Orissa High Court has taken serious note of alleged police inaction in the Manas Kumar Baliarsingh murder case, which falls in the jurisdiction of Kanas police station in Puri district.

Artatrana Baliarsingh, father of the deceased, had filed a petition seeking the court’s intervention against police inaction.

Manas had died after being assaulted on September 12 last year, allegedly by a group of local goons, who had links with timber mafia. He was opposing illegal tree-felling on government land in the area. A case was registered at Kanas police station on the next day against 22 accused persons. But, the police have arrested no one so far.

Earlier, the State Human Rights Commission had directed the Puri superintendent of police to conduct an inquiry into the murder case and submit a factual report, while the high court has issued notice to the state home secretary for the alleged police inaction.

“While issuing notice to the state home secretary, the single-judge bench of Indrajit Mahanti on Monday also ordered for submission of case records related to the murder,” petitioner counsel Nishikanta Mishra said.

“The court also issued notices returnable within four weeks to the Puri collector, Puri superintendent of police and the inspector in charge of Kanas police station,” Mishra said.

Artatrana alleged that his family had received threats to life after his son (Manas) had opposed illegal tree-felling on government land by lodging a complaint with the local authorities. Some goons from his village (Chandpada-Balajitpur), who had links with the timber mafia, had entered his house on September 7 and issued the threats. On September 12, they attacked Manas, who succumbed to injuries.

Bharati Baliarsingh, wife of the deceased, had appeared before the commission on December 6 and narrated the incident of assault on them leading to her husband’s death. She also alleged laxity on part of the police after they had registered a case.

“The allegation prima facie sounds extremely serious,” the commission observed, while directing the Puri superintendent of police “to conduct an inquiry and submit a factual report within three weeks”. The commission has fixed January 11 as the next date for hearing on the case.