On May 25, 2025, senior journalist Bijay Kumar Pradhan visited Kultipali village, Balangir District, Odisha to expose alleged corruption in a government guard wall construction project worth ₹10 lakh. While filming the site, Pradhan was attacked by local contractor Gajendra Dalai, his associates Abinash Dalai, Aditya Jena, Gumara Nayak, and several workers. His hands and legs were tied, he was paraded through the village, tied to a pole, and brutally beaten in public. The assailants then took him to a village temple, forcing him to swear not to report on the incident, and destroyed his camera and mobile phones. The police registered an FIR at Puintala police station, arrested some suspects, but the main accused remains at large. The violent public assault and intimidation raise grave concerns about the safety of investigative journalists and the freedom to report on corruption in rural India.

HRDA requests the NHRC to take suo moto cognizance under Section 12(a) of the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019, and to ensure an independent inquiry, timely intervention, and protection for journalists investigating corruption.