A 26-year-old Dalit man allegedly died by suicide inside the Kendrapada collectorate on Friday purportedly after facing sustained harassment by officials over permission to sell his land to members of another caste. The deceased has been identified as Srichandan Mallick of Raitundi village under Nikirei police station. He hanged himself from the iron railings of the office of the collector at 1 pm on Friday with a towel when there were few people as the office was closed due to the morning shift.
Family and activists allege harassment
The family members and Dalit activists alleged that he ended his life after facing severe mental harassment by the officials. The deceased had been running from pillar to post since the last six months to get permission from the revenue office to sell his land to other caste persons, as it is mandatory under Section 22 of the Orissa Land Reforms (OLR) Act, 1960. A Scheduled Caste person cannot sell or transfer land to an upper caste or general category person without the written prior permission of a revenue officer.
Dalit activist speaks out
Dalit activist and former chairperson of zilla parishad, Gita Sethi alleged that Srichandan Mallick, a Dalit, was forced to end his life, driven by frustration over the long delay by the revenue officer to grant him permission to transfer his property. After knowing about the incident, police rushed to the spot and seized the body and sent it to the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapada for autopsy. No suicide note was recovered.
Investigation underway
An investigation is underway to find out what prompted him to kill himself, said IIC of Kendrapada police station Suvendu Sahoo. The district administration has launched an investigation. “We will take action if any official is found guilty of wrongdoing and harassing the Dalit youth,” said collector (Kendrapada) Raghuram R. Iyer.
The incident has sparked outrage among Dalit groups and local residents, who have demanded a thorough inquiry and strict action against the responsible officials. The deceased's family has also sought compensation and justice.
