National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 30 March sought an Action Taken report (ATR) from the Director General of Police (DGP) Odisha on the safety and security of a Medical student of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, who has been missing since February 9 last.

Adjudicating a petition filed by rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy the NHRC sought an ATR within four weeks. The petitioner in his complaint said the man, from Marsari Chowkibal in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district pursuing MBBS was missing from the AIIMS Bhubaneswar since February 9.

The man’s father said “On February 6, the man called me asking for money, which I deposited in his bank account the next day. Our contact with him snapped from February 9. We initially thought he was busy with his studies and hence unable to talk frequently. However, on getting no news of him till February 20, we left for Bhubaneswar sensing something amiss.” Later, Maoist posters claimed that they have abducted him.

Mr Tripathy alleged the failure and negligence of Odisha police in tracing the student and said it posed serious question of human rights.
He requested the NHRC to investigate the case or handover the investigation to the CB-CID/CBI to trace the student on war footing and to take legal action against the abductors/wrong doers. The right activist also appealed to NHRC to direct the authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to the victim.