Bhubaneswar: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has taken suo motu cognizance of the Sundargarh incident where one tribal died during a protest.
After going through the news published in the newspapers regarding the incident that took place on April 19, 2025 at Barkani village in Sundargarh district, the NCST has registered a case and issued notices to concerned authorities.
The Commission has issued notices to the District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Sundargarh and the concerned officials of Steel Authority of India in connection with the incident and sought factual details and action taken report.
A team of the Commission will visit the spot shortly, officials said.
The unfortunate incident took place during the demonstration of the local tribal community against the construction of the proposed railway line to Dumerta by the Rourkela Steel Plant.
In this incident, violent incidents took place after a tribal villager, Ettua Ekka, died allegedly due to being hit by a JCB machine.
Notably, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Commission, through its Regional Office in Bhubaneswar, seeking urgent intervention into the tragic death of Ettua Ekka.
The memorandum highlights the grave violation of tribal rights and the alarming administrative apathy that led to Mr. Ekka’s death on April 20, 2025, during a peaceful protest against the expansion of a railway line for the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP).
Shri Ekka, a 35-year-old member of the local tribal community, was reportedly crushed to death by an excavator in the presence of Police, law enforcement and RSP officials while trying to prevent the encroachment of community land.
The incident has sparked grief, anger, and fear across the region, with serious concerns raised regarding police conduct, misuse of force, and criminalization of peaceful protesters.