Balasore Superintendent of Police (SP) Pratyush Diwakar has suspended three police personnel for alleged negligence after the prime accused in a minor girl’s abduction case escaped custody during transit.
The suspended officers include Assistant Sub-Inspector Deepak Kumar Bhoi, Constable Bikas Kumar Mohapatra, and Reserve Constable Suchitra Majhi. The trio had successfully tracked and arrested the accused, Sanjay Rath, in Andhra Pradesh, where the minor girl was being held. However, while returning to Odisha by train, the accused managed to flee during a late-night stopover, despite being under police escort.
The incident has sparked public outrage and raised serious questions about procedural lapses in handling sensitive cases. SP Diwakar has ordered a departmental inquiry and assured that strict measures will be taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The minor girl was safely rescued and brought back to Odisha, but the escape of the accused has cast a shadow over the operation’s success.