Nuapada self-immolation case: Victim succumbs during treatment, tehsildar suspended

Nuapada: A day after a man attempted self-immolation over a pending land-related case in front of the tehsil office and succumbed to burn injuries in Nuapada district of Odisha, the tehsildar was placed under suspension by the State government.

The information was shared by the Information and Public Relations department in a notice today. “Nuapada tehsildar Debendra Kumar Rout, OAS-A (JB) has been placed under suspension after completion of disciplinary proceedings initiated against him. As per letter no 9942 dated 17.03.203 by the Revenue and Disaster Management department, his headquarters has been shifted to the Revenue Divisional Commisioner’s office at Sambalpur during the period of suspension. He cannot leave the headquarters without permission of the Revenue Divisional Commisioner,” the letter read.

The victim was identified as Jagdish Chauhan of Kalyanpur village within Jonk-Khariar Road police limits. On Thursday, Chauhan had poured petrol and set himself on fire in front of Nuapada tehsil office over delay in the settlement of land dispute case and alleged inaction by revenue authorities. He had sustained 80 per cent burn injuries and succumbed during treatment at VIMSAR, Burla in Sambalpur district at night.

As per reports, the victim had been seeking permission for settlement of 3.12 acre land, inherited from his father Atmaram Harijan, under section 22 of Odisha Land Reforms (OLR) Act, 1960. He had been pursuing the case since January last year during which then sub-collector Tarinisen Nayak had directed tehsildar Debendra Rout to verify the land. But as per Chauhan’s claims, the tehsildar had been sitting on the case. This reportedly caused much distress and led Chauhan to take the extreme step.