Odisha woman force-fed human excreta, tribals rise in protest

BALANGIR: A 30-year-old man allegedly assaulted and force-fed human excreta to a 20-year-old tribal woman and rubbed it on her face after she objected to him driving his tractor through her farmland, damaging standing crops, in Odisha's Balangir district.

The assault on Nov 16 sparked protests in the region, with tribal groups joining Jurabandha villagers to demand speedy justice and the immediate arrest of the absconding accused, Abhaya Bag. He has been booked under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The victim's relatives and eyewitnesses have alleged undue delay in police action, blaming Bag's political connections for obstructing the investigation. "Four days have passed since we filed the complaint, but no arrest has been made," said one relative on Wednesday. Bangomunda SHO Sanjib Kumar Pradhan said, "We have registered an FIR and formed a special team to apprehend the absconding accused." The woman and her younger sister rely on their two-acre farmland for their livelihood.

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