Woman Home Guard Torture Case: OHRC Seeks Report From Odisha DGP By Sept 15

Bhubaneswar: Expressing serious concern over reports about the alleged torture of a woman home guard allegedly by the wife of a senior IPS officer, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Tuesday sought a report from the Director General of Police (DGP).

Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter following news reports, the Commission issued order for sending a notice to the DGP to cause an inquire into the incident. The state police chief is required to submit the report by September 15.

Considering the gravity of the issue, the Commission directed that the matter be placed before the OHRC Chairperson for appropriate orders.

The Commission’s move came after the woman home guard reportedly blamed Angul DIG Brijesh Rai’s wife for her suicide bid in which she lost both her limbs.

The woman home guard, Souridri Sahu brought serious allegations against the wife of DIG Rai and claimed that she lost both her legs in a suicide attempt after failing to bear the torture. She is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has transferred Rai, a 2009-batch IPS officer, hailing from Mau district of Uttar Pradesh, to state police headquarters, Cuttack.

The IPS officer, however, dismissed the allegations of harassment and attributed the victim’s drastic action to mental distress, owing to personal issues.