Orissa HC orders probe into police ‘excesses’ on tribal villagers resisting bauxite mining
The Orissa High Court has ordered an investigation into alleged police misconduct against tribal villagers protesting a bauxite mining project in Rayagada. The court is reviewing claims of illegal house raids and arrests, while the state maintains that police were responding to attacks on officers.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing tension between industrial development projects and the rights of indigenous communities in India.
B The Orissa High Court has directed Rayagada district administration to submit a report in connection with alleged police excesses on tribal villagers opposed to a bauxite mining project near their village. Hearing a public interest litigation filed by Purushottam Hikaka and seven others, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Chittaranjan Dash directed the administration to maintain peace in villages close to mining site in Sijimali Hill located in the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. Several villagers have opposed the mining proposal saying it would destroy the surrounding water sources, ecology and their livelihood. The resistance intensified after Rayagada district administration tried to facilitate the laying of a road to mining site. The April 7 order was made available online on Thursday.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in