Frustrated in love - man turns mad, confined for 15 years, released

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: An Orissa man, who turned insane after his girl friend rejected his love, has been rescued by the Angul district authorities after having been confined to a dingy room for over 15 years.
The 42-year-old Narottam Sethy of Koshala village under Chhendipada police limit was on Monday rescued by the district administration and immediately admitted to district headquarters hospital.
“Saline fluids along with medicines are being administered to Narottam and he is responding to the treatment well,” Dr Priyaranjan Parida, who is attending the man, said.
Narottam’s mother Abala Sethy said the family had confined the Narottam as he showed some rowdy behaviour after his lady love rejected by his marriage offer 15 years ago.
“Having been frustrated in love, Narottam turned violent and always made bids to hurt the villagers. His erratic behaviour was unbearable and hence we confined him to a room for the safety of the family and others. He used to throw away and break utensils and other household articles after he turned mad. We did not have any other way than restricting his physical movement,” she said.
The 10/10-feet dingy room in which Narottam was confined is made up of mud. In order to seal all chances of Narottam’s escape, the doors of the room were always kept locked.
A small whole was made on the mud wall to supply food and water. All through these years, Narottam was made to attend his nature’s call in the room itself which emanated unbearable foul smell when it was opened on Monday, said Chhendipada police inspector R.N. Sahoo.
Chhendipada Tehsildar Madhusudan Das, who played a crucial role in rescuing the youth, said the district administration took up the cause of Narottam after it came to know about his confinement from an Oriya daily.
In a similar case in September last year, Dhenkanal district authorities had rescued a 43-year-old woman Annapurna Sahu from Dhenkanal district. The lady was locked up in a room by her family for more than 25 years. After her primary medical treatment, the lady has been put in a rehabilitation centre.

"Fastest moving" chief minister denied to move in his own land for "failure"

Navin not allowed to get off from his car in affected pockets

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: It could not have been more an embarrassing treatment to chief minister Navin Patnaik – who on Sunday was not only denied an entry to the flood affected pockets of Kendrapara district, but forced by the angry flood affected people to return to Bhubaneswar for the alleged failure of his administration to mitigate the plight of the people.
While 12 of Orissa's 30 districts were facing a total flood inundation on Friday night, the chief minister was preoccupied with an award ceremony in New Delhi on Friday night. This had reportedly angered the people.
The mob reportedly pelted stones and hurled abusive at the chief minister and his convoy forcing him to return.
The irate people gheraoed chief minister's convoy at Shyamasundar and did not allow him to get off his car.
The affected people complained that the administration had failed to conduct even the basic relief and rescue operation. They shouted slogans and asked Mr Patnaik and his party MPs and MLAs to go back.
With no hope of reaching to the affected pockets, the convoy had to return to Kendrapara College where the chief minister reviewed the relief operation in the district.
State revenue minister Manmohan Samal was also on Saturday manhandled at Kendrapara for the district administration's alleged failure to reach out to the flood victims. The entire local media, too, boycotted the chief minister's meeting in protest against the failure of the state government machinery in extending rescue and relief measures.
It may be mentioned here that when the chief minister was receiving the "fastest moving state" award from a news national magazine on Friday night, nearly 20 lakh people of Kendrapara and some other districts were struggling to save their lives as three major rivers in the Mahanadi system breached.
The state administration, which was boasting of a good preparedness for disaster mitigation, was also found in wilderness to handle the flood situation.
By the time the chief minister's plane landed in Bhubaneswar on Saturday afternoon, the flood had wrought its damage, – lowers parts of Kendrapara city and three block areas were completely inundated.
The affected people complained that the administration had failed to conduct even the basic relief and rescue operation. They shouted slogans and asked Mr Patnaik and his party MPs and MLAs to go back.
With no hope of reaching to the affected pockets, the convoy had to return to Kendrapara College where the chief minister reviewed the relief operation in the district.
The entire local media, too, boycotted the chief minister's meeting in protest against the failure of the state government machinery in extending rescue and relief measures.
It may be mentioned here that when the chief minister was receiving the "fastest moving state" award from a news national magazine on Friday night, nearly 20 lakh people of Kendrapara and some other districts were struggling to save their lives as three major rivers in the Mahanadi system breached.
The state administration, which was boasting of a good preparedness for disaster mitigation, was also found in wilderness to handle the flood situation.
By the time the chief minister's plane landed in Bhubaneswar on Saturday afternoon, the flood had wrought its damage, – lowers parts of Kendrapara city and three block areas were completely inundated.
Meanwhile, the number of flood affected people in the state shot up to 20 lakh on Sunday. The total casualty rose up to 30 with three more death cases being reported from Bolangir, Kendrapara and Puri. Flood victims alleged that relief had not yet reached to more than 80 per cent of the marooned population and drinking water and boats were still in short supply. Individuals and private organisations, however, were on Sunday seen busy in relief and rescue operations in Patkura, Marsaghai and Garadpur area. They supplied cooked food, drinking water and polythene sheets to the people who had taken shelter on the highway. Meanwhile, the river breaches have not been repaired and floodwater continues to flow into low-lying areas. More than 350 villages have been marooned, 88 roads and 9,000 houses have been washed away. Over 55 lakh hectares of crop area has been affected.
Meanwhile, the number of flood affected people in the state shot up to 20 lakh on Sunday. The total casualty rose up to 30 with three more death cases being reported from Bolangir, Kendrapara and Puri.
Flood victims alleged that relief had not yet reached to more than 80 per cent of the marooned population and drinking water and boats were still in short supply.
Individuals and private organisations, however, were on Sunday seen busy in relief and rescue operations in Patkura, Marsaghai and Garadpur area. They supplied cooked food, drinking water and polythene sheets to the people who had taken shelter on the highway.
Meanwhile, the river breaches have not been repaired and floodwater continues to flow into low-lying areas.
More than 350 villages have been marooned, 88 roads and 9,000 houses have been washed away. Over 1.55 lakh hectares of crop area has been affected.