BJD Refers To Assault On Raj Bhawan Staffer At All-Party Meet, Says No Rule Of Law In Odisha Today

New Delhi: The issue of alleged assault of a Raj Bhawan employee by Odisha Governor’s son, Lalit Kumar, was raised at the all-party meeting convened by the Narendra Modi-led government ahead of the Budget session on Sunday.

The BJD claimed that there has been no police inaction in the matter. “One of the issues that we raised was that the son of Governor of Odisha (Raghubar Das) had assaulted an ASO (Assistant Section Officer), who was a staff at the Raj Bhawan. Despite the Governor’s son assaulting the staffer on the premises of Raj Bhawan and a subsequent FIR been filed in the matter and medical examination being done, no step has been taken by the state police. It is shocking. The rule of law today is not being followed by the state of Odisha and its government,” BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra told reporters.

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Assistant Section Officer, Parliamentary Affairs Department, Baikuntha Pradhan had recently alleged assault by Governor Raghubar Das’s son Lalit Kumar and six others on the night of July 7. The incident took place on the Raj Bhavan premises in Puri, where he was posted to supervise the preparation for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit. He had accused them of ‘slapping, blowing punches on his face, kicking every part of his body, and twisting his left ankle’.

According to the complaint registered at Sea Beach Police Station in Puri, Kumar was upset with Pradhan for not sending two luxury vehicles to receive him at the Puri railway station. During the assault, he also asked Pradhan to lick his shoes and kept threatening him.

On July 12, Governor took cognizance of the incident and assured justice for the victim and his family. The Odisha government later transferred and posted Pradhan to Home Department.