Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Friday suspended two senior officers after they remained in jail for more than 48 hours following their arrest in separate cases, officials said.
The suspension of Arun Kumar Biswal, additional secretary in the Commerce and Transport Department, and Sujit Kumar Raula, senior superintendent of Choudwar Circle Jail, was approved by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, a CMO official said.
“In accordance with government regulations, both officials have been suspended as they have remained in jail for more than 48 hours,” the official said.
Biswal was arrested September 18 for allegedly sexually harassing and attempting to murder a woman employee. He was arrested and sent to judicial custody following a written complaint lodged by the woman at Kharvelnagar police station in Bhubaneswar.
According to police, the 55-year-old Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer visited the woman’s residence on the night of September 17 and allegedly created a ruckus. He also allegedly abused and misbehaved with her.
Raula was arrested September 20 on charges of forging documents in connection with the escape of two murder accused from the high-security Choudwar Circle Jail last year.
The arrest came after the Orissa High Court August 29 withdrew interim protection and rejected his anticipatory bail plea in a case registered against him at Choudwar police station.
On January 17 this year, Santosini Dash, then jailer of Choudwar Circle Jail in Cuttack, had lodged a complaint against Raula, accusing him of forging documents following the escape of two murder accused, Madhukant Rana and Raja Sahani, from the prison premises late October 2 last year.
The jailer had alleged that Raula facilitated the escape of the two accused.
