Author: PNS
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 16, 2012
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/50301-tribal-women-up-against-sabyasachi-panda.html

The Tribal Women’s Empowerment Forum of Gajapati district has threatened the State Government to stage dharna in front of the Assembly if it does not take stern action against Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda for the atrocities meted out to women by him and his comrades.

The demand came up in printed posters of the forum put up in large numbers in almost all parts of the district, including Gumma, Kashinagar, Goshani, Rayagada, Nuagad, Mohana and R Udayagiri blocks.

The posters printed in immaculate Odia bears the signature of forum convener Anita Majhi.

In the posters, they have narrated the heinous story behind the murder of a lower-level Maoist leader Rabi who was forcibly married to a woman cadre, Jhansi, five years back.

Jhansi was being sexually assaulted by Sabyasachi, the poster said, adding that when Rabi kept objecting to such acts, he was first tortured and then shot mercilessly by some cadres at the instance of Sabyasachi. Jhansi was also tortured as she objected to her husband’s ghastly murder.