Post news Network
Angul, August 3: In a blatant display of highhandedness and misuse of official power, Chhendipada police here allegedly misbehaved with a woman complainant as well as her daughter and pressurised them to change their FIR Sunday.
The police also held up a witness and beat him up black and blue for testifying on behalf of the complainant. The matter came to the fore after the woman, Pramila Dehuri, of Deunriajharan village under Angul police limits, lodged a complaint in this regard at the district collector’s grievance redressal cell Monday.
According to Pramila, she had lodged a complaint in Chhendipada police station June 26 over a long standing dispute with a relative involving property and gold. The accused
persons somehow got inkling of her complaint and abused her. But, the
police failed to take any action following which Pramila met the additional superintendent of police (ASP) in the absence of the superintendent of police (SP) and again lodged a complaint July 13.
Pramila was at home Sunday when she got a call asking her to come to the police station along with the witness. Pramila accompanied by her daughter Geetanjali and witness Dukhia Dehuri reached the police station when inspector-in-charge (IIC) Nihar Ranjan Mohanty pressurised Dukhia to change his statement in the case. As he refused to do so, the IIC allegedly beat him up. He again started thrashing Dukhia when he refused to yield. The IIC allegedly misbehaved with Pramila and asked her to change the FIR.
When Geetanjali resisted, Mohanty allegedly misbehaved with her and hurled abuses at her. On being informed, SP Rajesh Pandit rang up Mohanty and enquired about the matter while expressing his displeasure over the incident the same night.
When contacted, IIC Mohanty rejected the allegations and said the complaint of Pramila is not acceptable. Pandit admitted to have talked to Mohanty over phone Sunday night when the latter rejected the allegations. The SP, however, assured to ask the sub-divisional police officer to probe the matter and report over the incident.
