NHRC takes suo motu cognisance of two SC people beaten up in Odisha

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India on Wednesday took suo motu cognizance of a media report revealing that two persons belonging to the Scheduled Caste were beaten up, forced to eat grass and drink drain water, on suspicion of illegally smuggling cattle by some people belonging to other community, in Ganjam district of Odisha, on June 26, 2025, as per an official release. Reportedly, their mobile phones were snatched, and their heads were also forcibly tonsured.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Odisha, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

The report is expected to include the action taken against the perpetrators and compensation, if any, provided to the victims. Meanwhile, in Telangana, High Court advocate Rama Rao filed a complaint with NHRC regarding the blast at the Sigachi Industries Limited pharmaceutical factory in Pashamylaram Industrial Area, which occurred on Monday. The complaint alleges that the incident, which resulted in several worker fatalities and injuries, was caused by the company's failure to follow safety protocols and negligence on the part of management.

According to the complaint, "Several workers have been killed after a suspected reactor explosion caused a fire in a chemical factory in Telangana. As per officials, the incident took place at the Sigachi Chemical Industry in Pashamylaram on Monday. As many as 108 workers were at the factory at the time of the blast, which could be heard about five km away. The explosion triggered a huge fire, and 15 fire engines were used to douse the flames. According to eye-witnesses, such was the impact of the explosion that workers were tossed in the air and fell several meters away." "As the bodies of some victims were blown to pieces or charred beyond recognition, disaster occasioned due to failure in following the safety protocols, negligence on part of management, post disaster response of authorities was slow, indicating their unpreparedness, fire fighters had to reach the place from Secunderabad which is nearly 40 km away, necessary case may be directed to registered against Chidambarnathan Shanmuganathan, Dhanalakshmi Guntaka, Amit Raj Sinha, Sarveswar Reddy Sanivarapu, Vivek Kumar, Subbarami Oruganti Reddy, Rabindra Prasad Sinha, and Bindu Vinodhan (Directors/Management of Sigachi) for an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to Murder, direct the management to pay a sum of Rs 25,00,000 as compensation in case of deceased alongside a sum of Rs 10,00,000 for injured and disabled, investigations may be directed to be carried out with specific reference to cause of blast, safety audits may be conducted in all establishments throughout the industrial areas of Telangana for preventing any repetition," the complaint further said. (ANI)

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