The arrest of Dandapani Mohanty, a known Maoist mediator and president of Orissa-based human rights forum Jana Adhikar Manch, has sparked off a major controversy with leading social activists dubbing the action “blatant” and “brute” misuse of state power.
Campaign Against Fabri-cation of False Cases convenor Narendra Mohanty on Monday said the police had slapped “false” and “fabricated” cases against Mr Mohanty as he differed on the police version on November 14, 2012 Bhaliag-uda police encounter in which five tribals were killed allegedly in “cold-blood”. “The police has booked Dandapani on charges of attack on security personnel, police stations, murder, burning of telephone towers and government buses and extortion. It (police) justifies its action saying that at least 15 arrest warrants, including six non-bailable, were pending against him for execution. If this is the case, why the state administration made him mediator to free former Malkangiri collector R. Vineel Krishna and two Italian tourists who were taken hostages by rebels in 2011 and 2012, respectively? asked CAFC convenor.
He called upon the Left and progressive democratic parties to strongly condemn the arrest of the Dandapani Mohanty and ensure that he was released with due honour.
“In a democratic country, each individual professes his own political ideas and ideology and has every right to differ on issues even it contradicts the state version. It does not mean that the particular fellow will be chastised for his differences of opinion,” said Mr Mohanty. Sources said Dandapani Mohanty was in police target ever since he declared that his son Sangram Mohanty would contest from Sorada Assembly seat in chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s home district, Ganjam, on Orissa Jana Morcha ticket.