Kangaroo court victim appeals before OHRC for justice

Bhubaneswar: The victim of a kangaroo court verdict in Badakera village in Angul district who was forced to go around the village beating a gong, today appealed for justice before the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC).

Dushmant Sahu, the husband of a ward member, was forced to either pay Rs 50,000 penalty or go about beating a gong in the village for not voting the candidate supported by villagers in the naib sarpanch election. When the candidate supported by his wife Mallika Sahu won the election and became naib sarpanch, the angry villagers held a kangaroo court where the head and secretary ordered him to pay the hefty fine or beat gong across the village.

Today he alleged before OHRC that local MLA Rajnikant Singh is the main culprit behind the incident. Sahu said that the MLA instigated the villagers to ostracise his family and force a fine on them.

Also Read: Police books Kangaroo court members for imposing gong beating punishment

Meanwhile, MLA Singh has refuted such allegations and said he has no role in the incident.

BJP leaders have criticised the incident terming it ‘British Raaj’.