BJP Workers Attack Officer in Bhubaneswar Municipal Office (Video)
Bhubaneswar, 1 July – (www.deccanlive.com): On Monday morning, chaos broke out at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office when supporters of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan allegedly physically attacked Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahu, a senior officer from the Odisha Administrative Service, during a public complaint hearing.
The attackers beat Sahu with kicks and punches in front of everyone, dragged him out of the office, and also threatened other employees and officers. Reports say the attackers were BJP workers loyal to local leader Jagannath Pradhan, and they also misbehaved with Mayor Sulochana Das.
This violent incident disrupted public complaint hearings and other office work for nearly an hour. It raised serious concerns about the security in government offices.
In protest, BMC staff staged a one-day sit-in inside the office premises, demanding immediate action against the attackers. Later, BMC councillors and employees also blocked Janpath Road to protest.
Ratnakar Sahu filed a police complaint at Kharavela Nagar police station. He said that during the hearing, 6 to 7 people entered the room and asked if he had spoken to Jagannath Pradhan. When he replied that they had a short phone call that morning, they suddenly attacked him.
Sahu claimed the attackers tried to force him into a car to take him to Jagannath Pradhan and make him apologize. They also snatched his mobile phone and uploaded objectionable content on his WhatsApp status.
Mayor Sulochana Das condemned the attack, demanding improved security in the BMC office, including armed police deployment.
BMC Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil called the incident “deeply regrettable” and said that Sahu was handling public grievances in his absence. He requested the Police Commissioner S. Dev Dutt Singh to take strict action.
Following the complaint, police arrested Ward 29 Corporator Jeevan Rout and two associates, Rashmi Mahapatra and Debasis Pradhan. Police said Rout incited the attack, while Rashmi and Debasis physically assaulted Sahu. All three will be presented in court, and investigation is ongoing.
CCTV footage is being used to identify other attackers, and additional police forces have been deployed at the BMC office.
It is important to note that BJP Corporator Jeevan Rout was also arrested in January 2024 for allegedly attacking an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). Police have also detained some BJD councillors and supporters for blocking roads and disrupting traffic in the evening.
