Bhubaneswar, Feb 8: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Keonjhar district Collector and the SP to submit action-taken report (ATR) before it regarding the administration’s alleged failure to protect basic human rights of 24 Dalit children who were forcibly converted into Christianity. The NHRC issued this direction accepting a petition filed by Supreme Court Lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy in this regard.
Tripathy urged the apex human rights watchdog seeking its intervention to expose the truth. In October 2015, at least 24 Dalit children in the age group of 6-12 were forcibly converted by a couple, who run a church in a hut, at the railway siding in Keonjhar.
Though the locals had brought this to the notice of police against the couple, Sadhu Balmuchu (38) and Mary (34) of Banitangar village under the Daitari police station, yet they were yet to be arrested.
Tripathy prayed to the NHRC to direct the State Government to take legal action against the wrongdoers, pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the victims along with free and proper medical care and other basic needs.
