Sambalpur witnessed Islamist violence and the subsequent police and administrative inaction triggered protests by Hindu organizations. HinduPost reported how Sambalpur police took Hindu activist Jayabrata Dey into custody on April 10 citing incitement to violence through an audio clip. His family highlighted that the audio clip was merely used as an opportunity to deliberately target him.
HinduPost learned that activist Jayabrata Dey’s family is being heckled by local police. His wife told us that recently their vehicle was towed away without giving them any explanation. She also told us that there is a constant police vigil outside their home. She believes that even policemen in civil clothes are present around her house all the time.
The family is living under constant fear. The activist’s wife also told us she has asked her eldest son to stay outside Sambalpur where he is pursuing his studies. Her other children are in Sambalpur. However, the constant police vigil is putting the family under stress. Although Section 144 has been removed in Sambalpur, the night curfew is still in place. Holidays have begun in schools and colleges.
At a time when the Sambalpur police should be taking action against Islamists responsible for the Hanuman Janmotsav violence, they are heckling the activist’s family. Moreover, local media is being to pressurized to not report the actual ground situation.
Jayabrata’s wife informed us that a group of BJP members who wanted to meet victims of Islamist violence were prevented from doing so. Furthermore, they were also not allowed to visit the family of a Hindu who was killed in the violence. Family members of another person who was injured were told not to speak to the media.
In other words, efforts are being made to suppress facts related to the Hanuman Janmotsav violence. Additionally, the Hindu activist’s family is also being threatened. All of this indicates that the Sambalpur police and administration are probably attempting to hide its failure by targeting the Hindu activist’s family and Hindu victims of the violence.
As highlighted earlier, Hanuman Jayanti’s violence was reported from Sambalpur leading to the loss of life and property. Hanuman Jayanti was celebrated by taking out a rally procession as is customary across Bharat. A motorbike rally on Wednesday (April 12) evening witnessed violence ahead of the Hanuman Janmotsv celebrations leaving 10 police personnel injured.
Further, it came to light that the Sambalpur police cited an audio clip to arrest Shri Jayabrata Dey. HinduPost accessed the audio clip where the activist is merely highlighting the history of Hanuman Janmotsav celebrations in Sambalpur and how the city has come under threat due to the change in demographics fuelled by votebank politics.
He also highlights how votebank politics is encouraging Islamists thereby putting the tolerant and peaceful Hindu community at risk of attack year after year. In the audio, Shri Jayabrata also points out the threat posed by the Christian Evangelical conversion mafia.
He also says the yatra is meant to awaken the Hindu community and pressurize the administration to act against these anti-Hindu and anti-national forces. He minces no words when he points out the nexus between these forces and some elements within the administration who afford them protection.
In view of these facts, it appears that Shri Jayabrata’s family is being deliberately intimidated so that the administrative failure to stop the influx of radical Islamists that led to demographic change in Sambalpur remains hidden from the public.
His family had earlier informed us that Jayabrata is being deliberately targeted by the administration as he has been involved in Gauraksha. Activist Jayabrata Dey’s bail application is scheduled to be heard on April 27.
Update: May 1, 12.50 PM
Additional information with regard to the Hanuman Jayanti violence in Sambalpur and the role of the police in not just suppressing information but also deliberately targeting Hindu activist Jayabrata Dey has come to the fore.
The Sambalpur police admitted that stone-pelting was deliberate and pre-planned. “We are examining the videographic evidence to identify other culprits involved in the violence. Stones were stocked which indicates that the violence was pre-planned. We will take action as per law. Special teams have been constituted to arrest those who fled the area. Around 100 people have been identified who were involved in stone-pelting”, SP Gangadhar informed OTV News.
SC ST Commission member Anant Naik visited the town and met members of the affected families to gather first-hand information regarding the entire episode. While speaking to the media, Anant Naik said he obtained information regarding the murder of a Hindu along with Hanuman Janmotsav violence that hit Sambalpur.
He further said that the state government and district administration were instructed to give a detailed report regarding the incident within three days. Subsequently, a three-member team including two senior officials besides Naik himself was constituted. Based on the complaints, the National SC-ST Commission decided to conduct a tour of the affected area.
The commission aimed to gather first-hand information from the families of the dead and injured but they couldn’t meet the family of the dead person. According to sources, the family of the dead person has been shifted to some other location by the administration. He further told media persons that they were able to meet the injured person and his family. He highlighted that people were hesitant to speak in connection with the violence in the presence of the district administration officials. However, the commission managed to obtain information from those affected and their families.
He also stated that there was anger among Hindus who became victims of Islamist violence. Highlighting an important point, Anant Naik said that he came to know that the last rites of the dead were conducted by the administration in a hurried manner and according to their own will. He said he would inform the national commission about the administration’s highhandedness following which appropriate action would be taken by the commission.
Police officer Dhirendra Kumar Swain, who was deputed to Motiharan Chowk along with SI Dharmendra Bhoi, submitted a written report on the Islamist violence in Sambalpur during the Hanuman Janmotsav bike rally.
“I along with staff members reached the spot at the spot at 4 PM. The rally started at 5 PM from Govindtols. In the rally about 1000 numbers of motorcyclists holding religious flags proceeded towards Golbarar via Bhutapada Motiharan. The rally reached Motiharan Chowk at about 6 PM. Half of the members of the procession crossed Motiharan Chowk and the other half of the procession made a halt for some time and the members of the procession were giving slogans like Jai Sri Ram, Jai Bajrangbali etc and waving the flags”, the report says.
“Suddenly the members of the Muslim community numbering about 200 and more suddenly reacted to the slogans of the members of the Hanuman Jayanti and abused the members of the procession in obscene languages and threatened the members of the procession to vacate the place immediately. Suddenly the mob consisting of the member of the Muslim community became violent and pelted stones at the procession causing injury to those participating in the rally”, Swain adds in his report.
“They started pelting more stones and also attacked the members of the rally with swords and lathis with the intention to kill, resulting in grievous injury to some members of the rally. They have created havoc and terrorised the whole environment. When the Police intervened in the matter, the Muslim community attacked police personnel by pelting stones causing grievous injury to many police personnel discharging their lawful duty. They did not allow the Police to perform their lawful duty and created a sense of fear in the area. Out of fear the member of Hanuman Jayanti left their Motor Cycles at Motiharan Chowk and fled away”, Swain says in his report.
While concluding the report, the police officer names Sadam, Irfan, Asif Ali, Sultan, Kallu, Shahid, Danish, Sahil, Mohammad Hussain and 150 to 160 others who were involved in the incident. He also notes that Dhanupali Police Station Inspector Anita Pradhan was also assaulted by the Islamists. “Hence I submitted this written report before you for taking necessary legal action against them”, Swain concludes.
Furthermore, activist Shri Jayabrata Dey’s family told HinduPost that the FIR (First Information Report) against him was totally fabricated. Jayabrata’s wife informed us that a second fabricated FIR was registered by the police on April 26. She said charges in both the FIRs are completely false and the Sambalpur police are using delaying tactics such as demanding time leading to postponement of the bail hearing. The activist’s wife told us that the Sambalpur police brought Shri Jayabrata with heavy special force in an attempt to intimidate him.
Another point highlighted by her is that Islamist terrorists are being sheltered by the state government, police, and administration. Backing her claim, she said that Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) wanted terrorist Guddu Muslim was found hiding in Odisha. Similarly, in the past banned outfit SIMI members were given asylum in Sambalpur and they were subsequently arrested from Rourkela. She says her husband is being targeted as he is fighting against those in the administration and police force who are turning a blind eye to the Islamist threat and providing shelter to them.
