Congress, BJD demand arrest of Odisha governor’s son for alleged assault on staff
An assistant section officer working at the Governor’s House in Bhubaneswar alleged that he was assaulted by the governor’s son at the Puri Raj Bhawan on July 7 during the visit of President Droupadi Murmu
The Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday demanded the arrest of Odisha governor Raghubar Das’ son Lalit Kumar for allegedly assaulting an employee of the Governor’s House at the Raj Bhavan in Puri.
Baikunthanath Pradhan, an assistant section officer (ASO) working at the Governor’s House in Bhubaneswar for the last three years, alleged that he was assaulted by Kumar at the Puri Raj Bhawan on July 7 during the visit of President Droupadi Murmu.
President Murmu was at Puri Raj Bhawan from July 7 afternoon toduly 8 morning for the Rath Yatra festival. Being the in-charge of Raj Bhavan, Puri, Pradhan had been there since July 5 to supervise the preparedness of Raj Bhavan for the visit of President Murmu.
In his complaint to the secretary to the governor, Pradhan alleged that Kumar attacked him on July 7 night while he was on duty. “On 7th July night at around 11.45 P.M while I was sitting in the office room, personal cook of Odisha Governor Aakash Singh came to my office and told me that Lalit Kumar wanted to meet him at Suite No-4. When I went there, Lalit Kumar started slapping me and used abusive language. Feeling helpless, I started running out of the room and hid behind the Annexe building. However, the two PSOs (personal security officers) of Lalit Kumar found me and dragged me to Room No. 4 through the lift. Security Personnel and others present there have witnessed this incident. They again started slapping, blowing punches on my face, kicking every part of my body and twisted my left ankle,” said Pradhan in his complaint.
Pradhan alleged that Kumar threatened to murder him if he revealed the incident to anyone.
Pradhan’s wife Sayoji alleged that the governor’s son was upset with her husband as he did not send a luxury car to pick him up. “He even forced my husband to lick his shoes and spit, and even threatened to kill,” she said. She alleged that though he has lodged a complaint with Puri Sea Beach Police Station and wrote a letter to the secretary to governor, no action has been taken so far. She said she met Governor Das on Saturday and he has assured her of justice.
BJD MLA Pratap Deb questioned the government’s silence even as six days have passed since the incident took place. “Everyone is waiting for justice from the chief minister. Being in the Opposition party, we demand justice for the state government employee. It is very unfortunate and highly condemnable. Police are yet to register a case and take action even as the incident happened on July 7. I urge the CM to act on it immediately,” he said.
Congress workers on Saturday took to the street and staged protests in front of the Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar demanding strict action against the culprits. Senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik also expressed concerns over the incident and urged the CM to investigate the matter. “I am deeply concerned about the recent incident involving Lalit Kumar, the son of Hon’ble @GovernorOdisha Raghubar Das. It has been reported that on the night of July 7th, he allegedly assaulted Baikuntha Pradhan, an Assistant Section Officer and the Raj Bhawan in charge at Puri. Despite a formal complaint being filed, no action has been taken yet. I urge the Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, to order a thorough investigation and ensure that justice is served for the victim,” Patnaik wrote on ‘X’.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said a case has been registered with police in Puri and an investigation is underway. HT tried to reach out to the son of the Governor, but there was no response.