Bhubaneswar civic official assaulted inside office, forced to apologise to BJP leader

A shocking incident unfolded in Bhubaneswar on Monday when a senior civic official was assaulted and dragged from his office during a public grievance session.

The attackers allegedly demanded that he apologise to BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan. The reason behind the demand remains unclear.

Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), filed a police complaint stating that a group of six to seven unidentified men barged into his chamber and questioned him about whether he had communicated with BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan.

Sahoo confirmed that he had spoken to Pradhan over the phone earlier that day. He alleged that the group then forcefully attempted to drag him by his shirt collar into a vehicle, insisting that he go apologise to the BJP leader.

“They beat me brutally in full public view with an attempt to murder, in the presence of public representatives, i.e. corporators of the BMC, BMC officers, staff, and citizens,” Sahoo said in his complaint. He also said the attackers took his mobile phone and uploaded inappropriate content to his WhatsApp status, reported The Indian Express.

Following the assault, BMC staff staged a day-long protest at the corporation office, demanding swift action against the perpetrators.

Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil called the attack unprovoked and demoralising, stating: “The officer was chairing grievance hearing on my behalf.” He urged Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh to take strong action against those responsible.

So far, three individuals have been arrested, including BMC corporator Jeevan Rout and his associates Rashmi Mahapatra and Debashis Pradhan. Rout had previously been arrested in January 2024 for allegedly assaulting an assistant sub-inspector.

Jagannath Pradhan called the incident “unfortunate” and acknowledged knowing two of the individuals involved. He assured that the BJP-led state government would not shield anyone and that appropriate legal steps would be taken.

Former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik condemned the attack in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The people named by the officer in his FIR have behaved like criminals,” he wrote. “If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the Government?”

Patnaik urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to ensure that not only the assailants but also any political figures behind the incident face exemplary punishment.