3 cops suspended after official detained for principal’s disappearance escapes

The top official of a private school in Odisha’s Bolangir was being questioned in connection with the disappearance of the school principal. Her family said she went missing after threatening to expose the official

Published on: Oct 18, 2021, 23:56:32 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: Three policemen were suspended in western Odisha’s Bolangir on Monday after the president of a private school’s managing committee in neighbouring Kalahandi district who was detained in connection with the disappearance of the school’s principal, escaped from police custody, police said.

The brother of the missing Odisha school principal alleged that she went missing after threatening to expose the private school’s managing committee president (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Three policemen who were responsible for guarding Gobind Sahu have been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty, said Bolangir superintendent of police Kusalkar Nitin Dagdu.

Sahu escapad from police barracks in Titlagarh town of Bolangir late on Sunday after being allowed to step out on the pretext of washing his hands after dinner. Sahu was detained on Wednesday last, October 13, for questioning in connection with the disappearance of school principal Mamita Meher on October 8.

The missing principal brother, Banti Meher, blamed the principal’s disappearance on the school managing committee’s president, according to the FIR registered by the police. In the FIR, Banti Mehr alleged his sister went missing after she threatened to expose Sahu, who she alleged, harassed the school’s female teachers.

In recent days, her family had questioned why the police hadn’t placed Sahu under arrest.

Congress MLA from Kantabanji, Santosh Singh Saluja alleged that the delay in arresting the school official could be linked to minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra earlier felicitating at a public event.

“It is not possible to hold an impartial inquiry in the matter as long as minister Mishra is at the helm of affairs,” Saluja said.

BJP leader Manoj Meher asked why Mishra who is also the local MLA hasn’t made any public comment about the case.

Minister of state Dibya Shankar Mishra could not be contacted for his comments. Kalahandi district BJD vice president Jitendra Mohanty denied that there was any link between the school official and the ruling Biju Janata Dal.”The case is still under investigation, so the minister does not want to speak to the meadia on this as it may be interpreted as interfering in the probe,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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