Tribal rights activists Dr. Randall Sequeira and Laxman Naik have been taken into custody related to a confrontation between police and protesters during an anti-mining demonstration in Kantamal village, Rayagada district, this past April. Their arrests have elicited significant backlash from political leaders and human rights advocates.
The activists were apprehended by Kashipur police at their residences in Kalahandi on the night of October 16 and subsequently presented in court, according to a senior police official. They face serious charges, including attempted murder and rioting, and have been charged under the Arms Act.
The Sijimali hill area has been a source of contention since 2023, following government approval for bauxite mining operations. The situation escalated on April 7 when road construction near Shagbari village led to renewed clashes between law enforcement and locals, resulting in injuries to both villagers and police. Although Sequeira and Naik were not initially mentioned in the original FIR, police investigations later revealed their alleged involvement in inciting local tribal residents to confront law enforcement.
South Western Range DIG Akhileshvar Singh defended the arrests, claiming that Sequeira had not been offering medical assistance to local communities, but was instead rallying tribal members against the state government. He further accused Naik of misleading the populace. Singh challenged critics of the arrests to investigate whether Sequeira had genuinely been providing medical services or instigating unrest. In response to claims of police brutality, the DIG noted that neither activist had filed any complaints regarding mistreatment in court.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh denounced the arrests, emphasizing that both activists were supporting protests by Dalit and Adivasi groups against bauxite mining initiatives. He described the detentions as part of a larger campaign of repression in Odisha, which has seen numerous police cases and over a hundred individuals jailed in the past three years. Ramesh highlighted serious allegations regarding the manipulation of Gram Sabha consent in Sijimali and pointed out documented instances of coercion across BJP-ruled states, noting that one of the proposed mining projects is linked to the Modani group.
Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka posted on X about his visit to meet Sequeira and Naik, along with their lawyer in Rayagada jail, alongside district Congress committee president and Rayagada MLA K Appala Swamy, stating, “we (are) working on next steps. Have assured them of all help legally & on the ground.”
The Concerned Citizens Committee in Odisha, a human rights group, condemned the arrests, suggesting they were an attempt to quash the tribal community’s fight for justice and their rights to natural resources. The organization asserted that the detentions are indicative of a broader trend of state repression against tribal and Dalit communities resisting the encroachment on their land and resources by mining and industrial projects. They highlighted that both activists have been instrumental in local movements that oppose the detrimental impacts of mining and industrialization while advocating for the preservation of tribal habitats.
