Odisha Doctor’s Arrest Sparks Concern As Christian Groups Seek National Commission For Minorities’ Intervention
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai: Christian community groups have urged the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) to intervene in the case of Dr Randall Sequeira, 39, who was arrested in Odisha’s Rayagada district on October 16 for allegedly instigating tribals against the state government during an April protest against a bauxite mining project.
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Sequeira, who reportedly has links to Mumbai, has been booked under the Arms Act and other criminal provisions relating to attempted murder, rioting, dacoity, armed robbery and criminal intimidation. According to earlier media reports, he was arrested from his residence in Bhawanipatna, Odisha, along with tribal activist Laxman Naik. A local court denied him bail, and he is currently lodged in Rayagada sub-jail.
A postgraduate in internal medicine from Sawai Man Singh Medical College, Sequeira reportedly began working in the tribal regions of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts in 2017. He is said to have provided medical consultations and medicines to economically disadvantaged families and helped local students prepare for medical entrance examinations.
Foundation Seeks Scrutiny Of Arrest
Mumbai-based citizens’ group Watchdog Foundation has written to the NCM, seeking scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding his arrest. The representation notes reports that Sequeira was arrested nearly six months after the April incident and was not named in the original first information report (FIR).
Advocate Godfrey Pimenta of the foundation said the absence of a person’s name in the original FIR does not, by itself, establish innocence or make a subsequent arrest unlawful. However, he said the circumstances in which a person is subsequently implicated warrant scrutiny to ensure that the investigation is based on credible evidence and that no one is subjected to arbitrary or discriminatory action.
The foundation said its representation was not intended to prejudge the allegations against Sequeira or interfere with the independence of investigating agencies or the judiciary. Instead, it sought to ensure that the criminal justice process remained fair, impartial and consistent with constitutional guarantees.
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Police, meanwhile, have alleged that Sequeira’s activities extended beyond providing medical services. Earlier media reports quoted Akhileshwar Singh, inspector general of the south-western range, as saying that at least four to five cases had been registered against Sequeira, who was accused of instigating tribals to make false allegations against the state government. Singh also reportedly said two tribal women had filed a case against him.
Rayagada Superintendent of Police Raj Prasad has been quoted in earlier reports as saying that 16 cases were pending against Naik, the co-accused. This newspaper could not contact Prasad for comment.
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Local activists opposing mining projects in the region have reportedly told the media that Sequeira treated people injured in clashes with police between April 6 and 7.
NCM Asked To Examine Legal Safeguards
Watchdog Foundation has asked the NCM to seek clarification from the appropriate authorities, as legally permissible, on the grounds for Sequeira’s arrest and whether prescribed procedures and legal safeguards were followed. It has also sought assurances that his rights to legal representation, communication with his family, necessary medical care and other protections under the law are respected.
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