Tags:
Journalism of Courage
BHUBANESWAR, MAY 7: Purna Chandra Mahanta, one of the three persons who deposed before the Justice D P Wadhwa Commission of Inquiry, identified Dara Singh, prime accused in the Manoharpur incident, when the videotape of the absconding criminal8217;s interview with a Keonjhar-based journalist was played before him.
However, when the two other witnesses who claimed to have seen Dara Singh from close quarters, Suhil Kumar Agarwal and Srikant Purti, were shown the video clippings, they could not identify him.
The Commission asked the State Government to give protection to Purna, in view of the threat given to him by Dara Singh.
Deposing before the Commission, Purna 20, a resident of Banbir village near Manoharpur, said that he had known Dara Singh for the past three years. Singh often stayed in the house of one Kali master a school teacher of his village. Singh also stayed in the house of one Nari Nayak of Telnadi sahi, about 13 km from Manoharpur, and was often seen with Nayak, he maintained.
Purna told the Commission that he had seen Dara Singh at Telnadi sahi about a month after the Manoharpur incident. He was staying in Nayak8217;s house at the time.
He further submitted that Singh threatened to kill his family if he dared to inform the police about his presence in the village. Nayak had described Purna as a police informer to Singh, he said.
Although he could not tell the Commission about the date, Purna said that the same day, the Thakurmuda police had visited the village in search of Singh. Police not only chased Singh, but fired at him. Singh, who was hiding in a paddy field, managed to escape.
Replying to queries from the Commission8217;s counsel, Purna said seven days after the Makar festival, he was asked by Dara Singh to accompany him to Manoharpur for some work. When Purna asked the purpose of the visit, Singh said he would tell him later. However, Purna refused to accompany him, he said.
He also narrated the incident in which Singh was found lying drunk on the road and how he was taken to the roadside by Thakurmunda police. He did not dare to tell the police that the man was Dara Singh, because of the threat.
Purna also named several of Singh8217;s associates to the Commission. He said Singh was quite popular in the locality because he opposed the cattle trading by Christians.
In his deposition, Srikant Purti 25 of Tumuldiha told the Commission that he had seen Dara Singh twice and could recognise him. He, however, failed to identify the video clippings. He said he was not sure whether the man in question was Dara Singh, because of the headgear.
Srikant said he had seen eight persons, including Singh, sleeping on the veranda of his house on the night of January 21 after his return from Singda village. The group had asked for rice and utensils, to which he obliged.
The next day, Ojen Hansda and Chanchu Hansda had visited Srikant8217;s village to enquire about the group.
On January 22, at about 8.30 pm, six persons met Srikant and again asked for water and utensils. Later, the number swelled to 35. He said he could recognise some of the them, including Singh, who was dressed in lungi and punjabi.
Srikant was told by the group that they were going to Puthujhuri village, about 20 km from Manoharpur, to enact a drama. Members of the group put red headgear on before they left for Puthujhari, at about 11 pm. Dara was holding a bag and an axe, he said.
He said he heard about the Manoharpur incident the next day.
Sushil Kumar Agarwal, who had negotiated with the Keonjhar district collector for Singh8217;s surrender, deposed before the Commission.
