**Koraput: ** The illegal and monopolistic attitude of Chhattisgarh Police has not only evoked criticism from its Odisha counterpart, but has also put the kith and kin of the arrestees on tenterhooks.
A glaring case in point is that of a midnight operation by the Chhattisgarh police in two adjacent villages under Kotpad Police Station limits on June 25 night hours.
District police sources said that such instances galore and it breaches the statutory norms.
As per reports, Nagarnar Police Station (Chhattisgarh) IIC and his armed force forcibly took away three villagers without informing the local police station.
The three villagers lifted have been identified as 36 years old Gurubandhu Durua, son of Jituru Durua, and 48 years old Manamada Durua, son of Bandaka Durua, both from Mundaguda village, and also 56 years old Kulu Dhurua, son of Budu Durua of Makagaon.
The worried family members frantically searched them at the Kotpad Police Station where the local police had no information.
Aggrieved Jituru Durua rued, “They in police uniform appeared in the night and forcibly took away with them my son and three others from our village and neighbouring village. When we enquired from our local police station, they said they are ignorant of such a development. Even our local Forest officials also don’t know about it. We’re daily wagers. We’ve got no links with the Maoists. We’re yet to know the reason behind the arrest.”
In his reactions to media on Monday, Additional SP, Jeypore (Koraput) Ramesh Chandra Sahu said, “Yesterday I received a message over phone relating to this incident. I enquired from the local police station and came to know that Chhattisgarh Police has taken away three villagers, two from Mundaguda and another from the nearby village. After they were lifted, the family members had come to the local police station to enquire if they have arrested them. There they got confirmed that it has been the act of Nagarnar Police Station (Chhattisgarh).”
“The Nagarnar Police Station later informed the anxious kin that those three persons had earlier allegedly beaten a Chhattisgarh Forester and forest guard inside the forest following which a case has been registered there under section 332 of the IPC and also other sections. I’ve also come to know that other three persons from the villages have also gone there to surrender.”
“But, it’s a matter of deep concern that such a type of case had also taken place in 2016. On July 28, 2016, two villagers of Nuagoan here had been arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police. They could have arrested taking us into confidence and with our assistance. Fortunately, there was no protest by the villagers this time also. Had there been the law and order situation, we would have intervened. As per law, the local police should have prior information. At least the Chhattisgarh Police should have informed us after the arrests,” the Additional SP complained.
The Additional SP complained further, “Beyond jurisdiction when they are resorting to such illegal actions, it doesn’t augur well. When there will be an issue of law and order situation over such arrests, how will they identify themselves? Hence, it’s wise to take the local police into confidence and seek assistance while taking such legal actions. Whenever we go out of our State for action, we inform the local police there and take their assistance. We’re here always to assist, but the Chhattisgarh Police is not seeking our assistance. Forget about assistance, they should at least inform us after the arrest. They should formally give us a requisition about the arrest so that the family members should know. Unnecessarily they are in trouble which the law doesn’t permit.”
