Woman Files Complaint Against Patnagarh MLA For ‘Harassing’ Husband

Balangir: Barely hours after the harassment of Jayakant Sabar, a PWD junior engineer, by the Patnagarh MLA Saroj Meher in public that went viral on social media, the engineer’s wife filed a complaint against the MLA at the Patnagarh police station on Thursday afternoon.

Referring to the incident, about which she came to know from the media, she said that her husband, who was called by the MLA to his residence on Wednesday, is yet to return to his house. Stating that the MLA had earlier harassed him with casteist remarks, she expressed apprehension on the whereabouts of her husband.

The complaint by the engineer’s wife came after the MLA regretted the incident before the media. “The people had asked me to see the poor construction of the road. After I reached there, they showed me the poor quality of work and demanded immediate action against the concerned engineer. As the situation was very tense, I asked the junior engineer to do sit-ups. I regret that I should not have harassed him,” Meher said.

The Opposition Congress and the BJP also strongly condemned the MLA’s behaviour.

“If the incident is true, it is utterly condemnable. Under no circumstances, can an MLA take the law into his/her own hands,” Congress leader and Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra said.

BJP leader and former Patnagarh MLA KV Singhdeo, said he has nothing more to say about the incident. Rather, the ruling party should regret such rash behaviour of the candidate to whom it has given ticket,” he observed.

In the video, which was circulated on social media, the junior engineer is seen doing sit-ups in public on the order of the MLA.