ALLEGATION OF CRPF FIRING ON TRIBALS DENIED

The Inspector General of Police, CRPF, Odisha Sector Brighu Srinivasan has taken objection to a report published in The Pioneer on May 8, 2014 under the headline “Following OHRC order, tribals get compensation” mentioning that as per the direction of the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), the State Government has provided compensation of Rs2.5 lakh and Rs1 lakh to two tribals, Hari Majhi and Hube Majhi, of Khaliapada village under the Komna police station in Nuapada district, respectively, who had sustained bullet injuries on January 8, 2013 allegedly being fired at by CRPF jawans.

 Taking objection to the statement “allegedly being fired by the CRPF,” Srinivasan has stated in his letter that the publication of such report without ascertaining correct facts from the concerned agency is strongly refuted.

 It is to be noted that the stated news item was based upon the order of the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) in the case No. 340 of 2013. The OHRC in this order has mentioned about the petition of the complainant Advocate Biswapriya Kanungo, which alleges that Hari Majhi and Hube Majhi sustained serious bullet injuries because of firing by CRPF jawans. The petitioner prayed for action against the CRPF for the alleged firing.

There is no mention of any clarification by the CRPF office in the order by the OHRC; which is a statutory body. The news report in question was based on the OHRC’s order as the source of reporting. So, the news was neither a mistake nor a typological error considering the matter presented in the order. However, considering the fact presented by the IG, CRPF, in his letter to the newspaper, the error is regretted.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/allegation-of-crpf--firing-on-tribals-denied.html