BJD, Cong Put Raj Bhavan, Mohan Majhi Govt In A Bind In Guv-Son-Assaults-Officer Case

Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJD and the Congress on Saturday turned the heat on the Mohan Majhi government in Odisha over alleged assault of an officer, Baikunthanath Pradhan, posted at Raj Bhavan by Governor Raghubar Das’ son.

Speaking at a presser, BJD leader Pratap Deb described it as an ‘unfortunate’ and ‘disgraceful’ incident. “Despite an FIR, no action has been taken by police till today though the incident took place on July 7. We fail to understand the reason behind this delay. The BJP government has been talking about giving justice to people of the state since assuming office. If the government fails to act in this case in which an official was assaulted by the Governor’s son then how can people repose faith in it?” he asked.

The BJD leader further said that since Home and General Administration department are under the CM, he would like to request him to ensure justice for the victim.

Earlier in the day, several members of the youth and student wings of the Congress were detained by police as they staged a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan here, demanding action in the matter. They have threatened to gherao the DGP office and intensify the agitation if no action is taken against the assaulters.

Senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik also expressed concern over the recent incident involving Lalit Kumar, the son of Governor. “It has been reported that on the night of July 7, he allegedly assaulted Baikuntha Pradhan, an Assistant Section Officer and the Raj Bhawan in charge at Puri. Despite a formal complaint being filed, no action has been taken yet. I urge the Odisha Chief Minister to order a thorough investigation and ensure that justice is served for the victim,” he posted on X.

Meanwhile, Odisha Secretariat Service Association has written to the CM to intervene in the matter personally and ensure justice to the Assistant Section Officer of OSS cadre deployed at the Governor’s Secretariat at the earliest. Activist Jayanta Das has also moved NHRC, seeking immediate action and police protection for Pradhan. He has also sought a compensation of 2 lakh for him.

Responding to the statements of BJD and Congress leaders, media in-charge, Odisha BJP, Dilip Malick asserted that a case has been registered and an investigation is underway. “Our government will definitely take action against culprits if the allegations are found to be true,” he told reporters.

He also questioned why Deb had kept mum during the alleged murder of Mamita Meher and then health minister Naba Das.

Pradhan (47), who is posted as the Assistant Section Officer, Household Section, Governor’s Secretariat, Raj Bhavan, has accused the Governor’s son of assaulting him for not sending luxury cars to pick him up from the Puri railway station. He submitted a written complaint to the  principal secretary to the Governor, Saswat Mishra, on July 10, alleging that Das’ son Lalit Kumar and five others slapped, punched, and kicked him on the night of July 7 on the Raj Bhavan premises in Puri, where he was posted to supervise the preparation for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit.

“Security personnel and others present there witnessed this incident. They again slapped me, threw punches on my face, kicked every part of my body, and twisted my left ankle. Kumar kept on saying that if they murder me, nobody can save me…,” he alleged.

The ex-serviceman also met the Governor on Thursday and described the whole incident. Since no action was taken thereafter, he filed a complaint with the police seeking justice.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Pradhan’s wife Sayoj claimed they went to the Sea Beach police station on July 11 to file a complaint, which was not accepted. “On the night of June 7, the Governor’s son called my husband to his room and beat him badly. He came out to save himself, but two men dragged him and beat him. He is badly injured. He was beaten because he (the Governor’s son) wanted a luxury car to pick him up from the station, but during that time many vehicles were on duty due to the President’s visit. My husband sent a Maruti Suzuki car, which was available, so he beat my husband as to why he did not get VIP treatment. He is still injured. My husband also met the governor, but he did not respond well. We have lodged a complaint at the Puri Beach police station. We want the accused to be punished and justice should be given to us…”

She also added that there is threat to life of her husband and other family members. “We are scared after the incident. We want immediate action in this matter,” she added.

However, no statement has been issued by the Governor’s son on these allegations.