Atrocity against Dalit Men over False Accusation of Cow Smuggling: Congress Fact-finding Team Meet Victims, Demands Justice

Berhampur: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) has strongly condemned the inhumane treatment of two Dalit men in Ganjam district, allegedly assaulted over false allegations of cattle smuggling.

Acting on the directive of PCC President Bhakta Charan Das, a five-member fact-finding team led by Legislature Party Leader Rama Chandra Kadam visited Singipur village with MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena.

The team met the victims, Babula Nayak (54) and Bulu Nayak (42), offering solidarity and support to their families.

The Congress leaders strongly condemned the incident as inhumane and called for swift justice.

The incident occurred at Jahada in Kharigumma village under Dharakote Police Station limits on Sunday.

The victims of Singipur had purchased a cow and two calves from Haripur for dowry for a family marriage ceremony and were carrying the cattle to their village on a tempo rickshaw when a group of locals intercepted them at Kharigumma.

The mob allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 from the duo. When the victims refused, they were assaulted and subjected to degrading treatment. They were taken to a salon and their heads were tonsured partly. They were then forced to crawl on their knees for over a kilometre, fed grass and made to drink drain water.

Spending two days on the ground, the Congress team spoke with the victims, their families, and local officials. The team has claimed the attack may have stemmed not from cattle transport but from a dispute allegedly linked to a dowry-related demand, contradicting initial narratives.

So far, nine individuals have been arrested. However, the fact-finding team believes more than 20 people may have been involved, either directly or indirectly. The delegation has urged the Ganjam Collector and Superintendent of Police to file a detailed chargesheet within two months and ensure that the trial is completed within three to four months.

At a press briefing, the team demanded ₹1 crore in compensation for each victim and warned of statewide protests if justice is delayed. They also alleged a rising culture of impunity, claiming that the perpetrators were emboldened by political patronage.

The barbaric treatment meted out to these men is a shameful reflection of growing lawlessness and caste-based violence under the current regime, the Congress leaders said, demanding exemplary punishment for all those involved.