Even though the State Government insists on making the police force community-friendly through its 5T initiative, some eccentric and arrogant men in uniform have made the whole affair a mockery.
Questionable acts of Sub-Inspector of Police Biswajit Behera, who was suspended from the Ramchandrapur PS and reinstated at the nearby Ghasipura police station in Keonjhar district, have led to a big hue and cry in the region for months.
According to locals, Behera is beating common men black and blue in and out of lockup on the pretext of one or other complaint. Surprisingly enough, the local scribes and lawyers also are not spared.
A lawyer in Anandpur Bar, Bhagwan Mallick, had lodged a complaint at the Anandpur police station alleging that he had been manhandled by Biswajit. Though the FIR was registered, no action has been taken yet.
“We will take up this issue to the streets once the coronavirus is ceased and normalcy is restored,” said Anandpur Bar Association president Sanjoy Mishra.
In another incidence, the SI made the spouse of a sitting member of Keonjhar Zillah Parishad Ranjan Behera kneel-down inside police station premises. Behera was also beaten up ruthlessly there. No action has been taken though Behera had filed an FIR in the local PS.
Biswajit also beat an elderly man, Basudev Parida, mercilessly in presence of women and kids of Basudev's family in his village Madanpur. Then, he brought Basudev to a lonely place and made him naked. He also video-graphed this episode and made it viral in social media in order to terrorise locals. This video exhibited how the victim was crying and praying for his release from the clutches of Biswajit Behera and his company of gunned commandos.
“Can a sensible human being act in such a way,” lamented local Sarpanch Namita Kuanr. “Doesn’t a poor citizen carry self-esteem in a welfare State? Are we in a democratic ser-up or in a police State? I demand stringent action against the wrongdoer who has violated the Chief Minister’s 5T policy,” she added.
However, some accuse top hierarchies of 'shielding' the SI with 'sadist' psychic. "When our Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik draws global applause for adopting people’s orientied programmes like 5T and Mo Sarkar, a few are flouting the norms. They should be traced and brought to book,” demanded Ratnakar Barik, a senior lawyer.
The National Human Rights Commission’s cognizance of the cases came as ray of hope for residents of the area. Still the public fury seems to aggravate as no criminal case is instituted against the delinquent cop as of today despite the filing of more than ten FIRs by the victims of his cruelty.
People have been astonished seeing the SI's suspension from duty and his hurried reinstatement at the nearby Ghasipura police station. Though the district SP sent him as the SI to Ghasipura PS after lifting suspension, he is seen roaming beyond his periphery and thrashing innocent people in areas beyond his police station.
