Tribal girl from Odisha alleges torture in B’desh; Ex-MP seeks admin help

Malkangiri: A 17-year-old tribal girl from Chitrakonda area of the district who had gone missing from Bengaluru has alleged that she is being subjected to torture after being trafficked to Bangladesh.

As per reports, the girl has been identified as Laxmi Matam who after finishing her matriculation had underwent a training in sewing with the assistance of the district administration. Later, she went to Bengaluru as part of a skill and career development programme and after few months of stay went missing.

Her parents suspected she might be in trouble after she did not communicate them neither returned to her village. Recently, she sent a letter to them saying she has been trafficked to Bangladesh and is presently suffering mental and physical torture.

Even though her parents apprised the police and the collector about the incident the latter are yet to take any action.

Meanwhile, former Nabarangpur MP and Congress leader Pradip Majhi warned that if the administration does not intervene into the matter and help bring back the girl in next 15 days then his supporters along with the locals of the girl's village will gherao the Secretariat.

"We have decided to give a 15-day ultimatum to the state government to take necessary steps to rescue and bring her back to home," Majhi said.

This apart, the former MP also alleged that a large number of students in Malkangiri have become school drop-outs due to negligence of the government.

"Nearly 2000 students of the district have been deprived of education by the administration in the name of caste certificate and have become drop-outs after class 5. The government should immediately make arrangements to reinstate them in school," he said.