The Biju Janata Dal submitted a memorandum to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in New Delhi, raising an alarm over increasing atrocities against tribal women and minor girls in Odisha.
The party demanded urgent intervention, citing police inaction and administrative negligence in several districts.
BJD leaders highlighted a disturbing incident on March 12, 2026, in Bhinjhua village under Tiring Police Station, Mayurbhanj district, where a 14-year-old tribal minor girl was allegedly molested near Bahalda Market. The party alleged that police failed to act promptly and instead tried to disperse protestors who had gheraoed the station, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.
The memorandum pointed to similar cases in Rayagada, Kandhamal, Koraput (Borigumma), Lamptaput, Sundargarh, and other districts, describing a systemic failure in ensuring safety and justice for tribal communities. Leaders noted delays in FIR registration, lack of timely arrests, insensitive handling of victims, suppression of protests, and absence of accountability for erring officials.
The BJD argued that such lapses violate constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 15, and 21, as well as provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The party urged NCST to take suo motu cognisance of the Bahalda case and similar incidents, order an independent inquiry, recommend departmental action against negligent officials, and establish a monitoring mechanism for accountability.
The memorandum emphasised that the prevailing situation has created fear and insecurity among tribal communities. BJD leaders, including Dr Debashis Marandi, Dr Priyabrata Majhi, Dr Lenin Mohanty, Ipsita Sahoo, Gangadhar Hembram, and Neelamadhav Sabar, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding the rights, dignity, and security of tribal women and expressed solidarity with victims and their families.
