By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:On May 25, when a 58-year-old woman, Annapurna Mandal, and her son, Anant Kumar Mandal, from Baghmari panchayat in Kendrapara district, came to Talchua police station to complain about a domestic dispute, the police station chief, instead of listening to their complaints, beat the complainant, Annapurna Mandal, mercilessly, wiped vermilion from her forehead, and locked her son, Anant Kumar Mandal, who was with the woman, in the toilet and subjected him to unspeakable torture. The brutal assault on both the mother and son by the police station chief for about 6 hours has put a big question mark on the credibility of the police in the entire state.
It is worth noting that Adarani Jena was suspended in 2020 for allegedly beating a tribal youth in police custody while he was working at Patna police station in Keonjhar district. He was not assigned to any police station for two years on the orders of the State Human Rights Commission (OHRC). Along with this, he was also fined. Similarly, in 2024, he was suspended in a controversial incident at Lakhanpur police station in Jharsuguda district.
Now, while working at Samudrik police station in Kendrapara district, he has been suspended on multiple charges of third degree assault. Even after repeated suspensions, a controversial and habitual, disorderly and human rights violator inspector is not dismissed from his job but is only suspended and given responsibility in the police station again, which shows the incompetence and hypocrisy of the police department. Aam Aadmi Party demands the Home Minister to immediately arrest Adarani Jena, file a criminal case against her and dismiss her from her job.
