The Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre (IRAC) has filed a complaint against parading a tribal woman naked by villagers on the orders of Gram Pradhan Mr Shamudhan Kisku of Mayurnacha village in Dumka district of Jharkhand on 28 September 2021.
The IRAC has taken strong note of the New Indian Express report titled “Tribal woman paraded naked for extramarital affairs with non-tribal in Jharkhand” dated 30th September 2021, available at https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/sep/29/tribal-woman-paradednaked-forextramarital-affairs-with-non-tribalinjharkhand-2365439.html
According to the report, on the night of 27 September 2021, the victim (tribal woman) was caught in an alleged extramarital relationship with a non-tribal man by the Gram Pradhan along with other villagers. Both the tribal woman and the non-tribal man are daily labourers. The next day (28 September) a public meeting was held in which the Gram Pradhan ordered that the tribal woman and her alleged lover be paraded naked across the village. This action by the villagers at the behest of the Gram Pradhan constitutes gross human rights violation of the tribal woman and constitute an “atrocity” under section 3(d) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 which makes garlanding with footwear or parading naked or semi-naked a member of the SC/ST a punishable offence.
The IRAC, therefore, sought the immediate intervention of the National Human Rights Commission by taking the following measures:
– Direct the state government of Jharkhand to order an investigation into the matter and submit a report to the Commission within four weeks;
-Direct the state government of Jharkhand to arrest and prosecute all the accused including the prime accused Gram Pradhan Mr Shamudhan Kisku of Mayurnacha village under relevant provisions of law including the Indian Penal Code 1860 and the SC/ST Act 1989;
– Direct the state government of Jharkhand to provide compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each to both the victims and the same should be recovered from the Gram Pradhan Shamudhan Kisku and other accused persons.