The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the Collector and Superintendent of Police of Nayagarh district to submit separate reports on allegations of police excesses and false cases filed against tribal residents of Kusupalla village.
The directive follows a petition by rights activist Himanshu Sekhar Nayak, who claimed that 30 tribal individuals were wrongfully arrested by Chandpur Police on May 5, 2025, after opposing illegal land encroachment and mineral excavation allegedly orchestrated by a powerful individual from Bhubaneswar.
Nayak’s complaint details a pattern of intimidation, including a violent attack on May 3 by associates of the alleged land mafia, and subsequent arrests of tribal victims when they attempted to file a complaint. The activist has called for a judicial probe and financial compensation for the affected families.
OHRC has asked for factual reports to be submitted by November 18, 2025, as it investigates the claims of human rights violations and misuse of police authority.
