M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Sept 3: The vice chairman of the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes, Arun Halder, has set a 3-day deadline for the arrest of the absconders of the Murumatu episode where 10 families comprising 42 members were forced to vacate their dwellings and later their huts were demolished by the minority community on August 29.
There are 12 named accused in the case besides 150 unidentified. Police have arrested 3 of the 12 named accused right on the day of the lodging of the FIR on August 30.
Now, the vice chairman of the NCSC has cracked the whip for the arrest of the remaining ones which has put police on the job more fiercely. He directed the administration to arrange shelter and food for these oustees till they are resettled.
Echoing the demand of the BJP that the oustees be resettled on the same plot of land from where they were thrown out by the minority community, Arun Halder told media persons that they be put in the same place and when their Aadhar cards are readied, it should have the address of the locations from where they were displaced or dislocated.
Halder assured to have its final observation/order complete on this episode in 3 months. He also said any attempt to reach a settlement out of court in this matter will not be allowed.
Sources said he asked the administration to prioritise the issue of the Mahadalits or Dalits wherever they are.
The NCSC vice chairman fumed over the absence of the state chief secretary here today saying his absence tantamounts to contempt of the Commission and the Commission has noted it down very seriously.
Meanwhile, the Palamu district JMM unit in its press note has taken a strong exception to the accompaniment and presence of a host of the BJP cadres in and around the vice chairman of the Commission during his inspection of the site of the occurrence of August 29 today.
The JMM termed this clouting of the BJP people as a part of influencing the information about the episode of Murumatu reaching or being given to the Commission. The JMM maintained that it hails neutral and transparent probe or inspection and not the one where neutrality or transparency is jeopardized.
