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Assault on Senior Officer Shakes Bhubaneswar

In a disturbing incident, Ratnakar Sahu, an Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and a senior officer in the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS), was reportedly pulled from his office and assaulted by a group of individuals on Monday, according to police reports.

Sahu has filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Kharvelnagar police station regarding the attack.

Bhubaneswar's Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jagmohan Meena, confirmed that three suspects have been apprehended in connection with the incident.

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The arrested individuals include Jeevan Rout, Rashmi Mahapatra, and Debashis Pradhan, with ongoing investigations to identify any additional suspects, as stated by the DCP.

In response to the attack, supporters of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) blocked Janpath, a major road, to protest against the violence directed at the OAS officer.

The OAS association has called for strict measures against the assailants, whose actions were recorded on CCTV.

Naveen Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition and BJD president, took to social media to urge Odisha's Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who oversees the Home department, to ensure justice is served and to prevent this incident from being overlooked, similar to a previous assault involving the son of a former Governor.

The assault took place while Sahu was addressing grievances in his office. He recounted that a group of five or six unidentified youths entered his chamber, initially appearing to seek assistance. However, after a brief exchange regarding a BJP leader, they forcibly removed him from his office and assaulted him.

The video capturing the incident quickly circulated online, prompting a significant number of government employees to take to the streets in protest. However, the authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.

BMC Mayor Sulochana Das, also affiliated with the BJD, expressed her dismay, labeling the incident as 'highly unfortunate' and indicative of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

In protest, BMC staff organized a sit-in at their office and halted work for the day, demanding swift action against the attackers and improved security measures for municipal employees.

Bhubaneswar MP and BJP spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi condemned the attack, asserting that such behavior does not align with the party's principles. She emphasized that the law must take its course and called for both legal and party-level actions against those involved.

Patnaik expressed his shock over the incident, highlighting that it occurred in broad daylight in the capital city while Sahu was performing his official duties.

He urged Chief Minister Majhi to take decisive action against not only the attackers but also the political figures who may have orchestrated this disgraceful act.

Patnaik stated, 'If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, what can ordinary citizens expect from the government? I hope that immediate measures are taken to restore public trust in the government and that this heinous act does not go unpunished, as was the case with the assault on an officer by the ex-Governor's son. The people of Odisha will not forgive this.'

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