NHRC Seeks Action Taken Report On Women Found Naked On Road In Odisha’s Sundargarh

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from collector and SP of Sundargarh in connection with the recused mother-daughter duo, who were found walking naked on College Road in the town on October 6.

Hearing a petition filed by human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the rights body has sought the report within four weeks. “The copy of instant proceeding be forwarded to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Govt. of Odisha for information and for ensuring compliance of direction of the Commission by aforesaid authorities. Let a copy of the complaint be also transmitted to the Secretary of the concerned State Human Rights Commission, calling upon him to inform this Commission the date of cognizance, if any, taken at their end in the instant matter within four weeks,” the order said.

Tripathy contended that the mother-daughter duo unable to bear the plight and immense pain lost mental balance and walked naked and landed in Sundargarh without any help and assistance from the onlookers and the government. “Neither the government machinery nor the civil society could come to the rescue of the victims,” he stated.

He requested the NHRC to investigate the case and take immediate measures to rehabilitate them with compensation and benefits of welfare schemes.

The woman, in her mid-40s, and her daughter, in mid-20s, were rescued from a bridge on College Road around 11.30 am on on October 6 by BJP MLA Kusum Tete, who then covered them with shawls from her vehicle, and sent them to Aastha Gruha, a shelter for mentally-ill women, located at Rangadhipa in the town, with the help of police.

Police then traced their family to Chhattisgarh, who claimed that the mother-daughter duo was mentally unstable and had left home on October 4. After spending four days at Aastha Gruha, they handed over to the family and returned to their native place in neighbouring Chhattisgarh on Tuesday morning.