GRAs to look into harassment complaints of tribals in Madhya Pradesh: Supreme Court

New Delhi : The Supreme Court has said that the complaints of tribals of three districts in Madhya Pradesh regarding alleged harassment by forest officials and police inaction would be taken care of by the grievance redressal authority (GRAs) set up by it.

The ‘Shramik Adivasi Sangathan’ had approached the apex court against the order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court which had dismissed their plea in which they had alleged that some officers of forest and police department were functioning as “feudal lords” and were considering tribals as their subjects.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur has directed the GRAs of Harda, Betul and Khandwa districts in the state to look into these issues and give their reports to the district judges concerned within three months.

The court also directed the Madhya Pradesh government to extend “every possible help in terms of financial and manpower assistance to GRAs to complete the task given to them”.

“GRAs for Harda, Betul and Khandwa constituted pursuant to the order dated August 13, 2012 passed by this Court shall look into every case highlighted in writ petition…filed by the appellant and such other similar grievances and make their report/reports to the district judges concerned as early as possible and in any case not later than three months from the date of this judgement,” the bench, also comprising Justices R Banumathi and Uday Umesh Lalit, said.

“If the report/reports so made by GRAs make out a case as alleged, the station house officer concerned shall do well to act accordingly and the cases in question shall be taken to logical end, in a manner known to law,” it said.

PTI