Bhubaneswar: A shocking incident unfolded on Saturday on the premises of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Jharigaon, Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, when a woman litigant allegedly went on a rampage with an iron rod, injuring a lady magistrate, an assistant public prosecutor (APP), and a court assistant sub-inspector (ASI).
According to sources, the accused, identified as 30-year-old Sanmati Majhi, an anganwadi worker from Karsahandi village, allegedly smuggled an iron rod into her bag and arrived at the court complex while proceedings were underway. She first tried to enter the courtroom while APP Pradeep Kumar Pattanaik was examining a witness but was stopped by the security personnel. When told by court staff to speak with the prosecutor regarding her matters, an enraged Majhi confronted Pattnaik. She then allegedly pulled out the rod from her bag and struck him on the head, causing severe bleeding injuries.
Hearing the commotion and screams, JMFC Judicial Magistrate Smita Lakra and court ASI Meenketan Gantayat quickly rushed to the scene to intervene and restrain the assailant. In the ensuing scuffle, the woman turned her aggression on the rescuers, striking both the magistrate and the police officer. While Magistrate Lakra sustained minor injuries, ASI Gantayat suffered bleeding head wounds. All three injured individuals were immediately rushed to the Jharigaon Community Health Centre for treatment and have since been discharged.
“I was seating inside the courtroom when the woman suddenly came up to me. She concealed an iron rod inside her carry bag and immediately started hitting me on the head with it. When the judge, Smita Lakra, attempted to intervene and protect me, she was also targeted and assaulted by the attacker. Additionally, the court security officer on duty, ASI Minaketan Gantayat, was attacked when he tried to step in and subdue her,” Pattanaik told the media.
Local police promptly apprehended Majhi at the scene and seized the iron rod.
Nabarangpur SP Parth Kashyap confirmed her arrest, stating that she will be produced before the court. Police are examining CCTV footage from the court premises to establish the exact sequence of events, he added.
While the precise motive remains under investigation, preliminary findings point toward growing frustration over an ongoing legal battle. Majhi has been involved in a matrimonial dispute concerning dowry harassment and domestic violence that has been pending before the Jharigaon court since January 2026. Her testimony had reportedly been recorded on November 2, just days before the attack. Pattanaik revealed that Majhi had met him roughly two weeks earlier seeking financial assistance for her young children, but her husband had reportedly refused to pay, stating he would prefer jail over meeting financial demands.
Police suspect that distress over matrimonial turmoil and perceived delays in the legal proceedings may have triggered the violent assault.
