IRS officer Nesha Oraon, daughter of former minister Rameshwar Oraon, has expressed her willingness to become a government witness in the Nisha Bhagat suicide case. Oraon emphasised that she would make every possible effort to bring the truth to light and ensure justice for Nisha Bhagat.
Through a social media post on November 9, Oraon revealed that she had her final conversation with Nisha Bhagat on the day the incident occurred. Recalling that interaction in her Facebook post, she expressed her willingness to become a government witness in the case.
The post, however, was removed by Facebook, alleging that it contained private information that could lead to identity theft or might put someone at risk of physical or financial harm.
Earlier, in her post on X, Nesha Oraon made several revelations regarding her conversation with Nisha Bhagat. Oraon stated that Nisha Bhagat had called her on the morning of the incident—last Friday—and the two spoke for approximately 13 minutes. During this time, Oraon was out. She ended the call by telling Nisha Bhagat that she would call her back.
Oraon stated that if justice was not served, the matter would be escalated to the national level. Furthermore, she affirmed that her involvement would not be limited to this case alone; she intended to actively address other critical issues—such as women's safety, social justice, and broader societal concerns—and continue contributing to these causes.
Nesha Oraon, who has been campaigning against religious conversion, had earlier described the incident as tragic, stating that Nisha Bhagat was a martyr for the Sarna community. She used to raise her voice on issues concerning the community; the mental torture inflicted upon her—aimed at silencing her—is no secret, she added. Oraon also asserted that this was not merely a case of suicide but murder, as Nisha Bhagat consistently spoke out against religious conversion and the plunder of tribal land.
“The voice of the community will not be allowed to be silenced in this manner. The Sarna community and Nisha deserve justice; there must be a thorough investigation and swift action,” stated Oraon in her post on X.
Notably, in a 'Facebook Live' session, Nisha had accused the Hemant Soren-led government and land brokers of harassing her. Following this, she allegedly died by suicide.
In the nearly 11-minute video, which was available on her Facebook profile, Bhagat was seen crying and alleging that speaking out against the “Hemant Soren government and its land brokers meant inviting death”.
In the video, Bhagat spoke emotionally about her alleged fight against land mafias and voiced frustration over the administration's response to her complaints. She also raised issues concerning the Sarna faith, the Sarna-Sanatan debate and what she described as systemic failures.
Meanwhile, the ST Morcha of the Jharkhand BJP has called a bandh across the South Chhotanagpur division on November 18 to seek justice for tribal activist Nisha Bhagat.
The Morcha will hold torchlight processions across Southern Chhotanagpur on November 10, a candle march by tribal women on November 11, torchlight rallies in all mandals on November 17, and a bandh on November 18.
