Odisha: ‘Controversial’ Koida BDO Pallavirani Raj Accuses Father & Brother Of Assault

Sundargarh: Police on Wednesday arrested the father of Pallavirani Raj, Block Development Officer (BDO) of Koida block in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, for allegedly assaulting the latter.

According to sources, the BDO had lodged a complaint accusing her father Ramesh Chandra Raj and brother Sangram Kumar Raj of beating her and an assistant engineer, Abhishek Panigrahi, at her official residence on Tuesday night. The father-son duo allegdely thrashed them following a tiff over clearance of pending bills related to some work at his residence.

Both the official sustained injuries at the incident. The BDO, , who was recently in news for her alleged involvement in corruption and nepotism, was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after first aid by a team of Koida Community Health Centre (CHC) while the injured engineer was referred to Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela.

Her brother is absconding, sources added.

Alleging improper utilisation of developmental funds and unruly behaviour towards the people representatives, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had observed a six-hour bandh in Koida on March 21. Congress and BJP legislators had also raised the issue in the Assembly and sought her transfer.

Sources said the BDO has been posted in Koida since 2019. In October 2021, her transfer was abruptly cancelled on personal grounds.