Padma awardee Jodhaiya Baiga harassed over house construction under PMAY; 4 held

She was conferred Padma Shri in January this year and had raised the issue about not having a house with PM Modi after which the state government allocated money for construction of a house

Updated on: Jul 4, 2023, 09:23:47 IST

By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Padma Shri awardee Jodhaiya Baiga (93) and her family members were allegedly harassed by four men of a village who did not allow them to construct their house in Lodha village of Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, police said.

A renowned Baiga painter, Jodhaiya Bai was living in a kutcha house with her grandson.

Also Read: Paintings of 80-year-old Madhya Pradesh woman on exhibit in Italy

She was conferred Padma Shri in January this year and had raised the issue about not having a house with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which the state government allocated money for construction of a house for her under the Prime Minister Awas Yojna (PMAY).

According to police on Monday, Jitendra Singh, Sanju Yadav, Mrigendra Singh and Rajesh stopped the construction and claimed that the land belonged to them.

“The accused beat her family members and abused her too. Jodhaiya Bai and her grandson filed a complaint with collector KD Tripathi and superintendent of police Pramod Sinha,” said Nagendra Singh, sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP), Umaria.

Police filed an FIR (first information report) against the accused under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (using obscene language) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) at Kotwali police station on June 26. The accused were arrested and released on bail, said SDOP.

Jodhaiya Baiga, who had sought security fearing threat to her life, said, “The land belongs to the government and was provided by the administration, but the accused are claiming that it belongs to them. My grandson was beaten up by them. They threatened us with dire consequences.”

SDOP Nagendra Singh said that the police are investigating the matter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Home/Cities/Bhopal News/Padma Awardee Jodhaiya Baiga Harassed Over House Construction Under PMAY; 4 Held