TRINATH MOHANTY, OP
Bhubaneswar: According to an Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) report, around 9,000 complaints have been lodged against the state police with the OHRC.
Of those, more than 300 cases pertain to sexual harassment by police personnel in the past nine years. Between 2023 and 2026, 35 cases were registered and 70 police personnel were arrested. However, action against the accused cops has been limited in many cases, prompting allegations that the department is shielding its own personnel.
A series of such cases has tarnished the image of the Odisha Police. On Sunday, Baragada police arrested Tapas Pradhan, a havildar deployed in a police control room (PCR) van, on charges of sexually harassing a woman leader.
The arrest has once again brought the issue of women’s safety into focus. The Director General of Police (DGP) had earlier issued strict instructions to all district superintendents of police (SPs) and deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) to take stringent action against personnel accused of sexual harassment, including removing them from service.
However, such incidents continue to be reported. In several cases, police personnel have been arrested and sent to jail but have allegedly returned to duty after their release. The failure to dismiss them from service has raised concerns that the absence of stringent action is emboldening offenders. Some major cases include the one on May 2, 2026, when former Khandapada sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Madan Mohan Pradhan was suspended over allegations of sexually harassing a woman.
The woman had approached Fatehgarh police station seeking justice in a case when the officer allegedly made frequent video calls, made obscene gestures and pressured her to engage in a physical relationship. Although a case was registered, he has not been arrested, according to the report.
In another case, former Sarankul police station inspector-in-charge Sujit Kumar Dash allegedly made obscene video calls to a woman June 18, 2026. He reportedly called her at night, pressured her to appear naked on video calls and threatened to arrest her in a false case if she refused. A case was registered after the woman complained to the DGP, but he has not been arrested, the report said.
On October 23, 2025, Inspector Jasobanta Acharya, a 2017-batch officer, was arrested following a complaint by a young woman who alleged that he had established a physical relationship with her on the promise of marriage. The two reportedly became acquainted in 2018 when he was posted at Kendrapada Town police station. In June 2026, Constable Paresh Samal was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a woman sweeper in the jurisdiction of Kataka Cantonment police station.
The report also refers to allegations of sexual harassment involving the girlfriend of an Army major at Bharatpur police station September 15, 2024. Human rights activist Bhajaman Biswal said public confi dence in the police would erode if those responsible for protecting people violated the law themselves. “People consider police stations and the police force safe. If women are sexually harassed by personnel at the very stations they approach for help, public trust will suffer,” he said, holding the DGP responsible for ensuring accountability.
He called for strict action against those accused of such misconduct. Women’s rights activist, Dolly Rath said police personnel must honour their oath to protect and serve the public. Those who misuse their uniforms and take the law into their own hands should be dismissed from service.”