The Bolangir district police department has been in the spotlight over the past four days following back-to-back controversies involving two police stations — Saintala and Kantabanji — leading to major reshuffles by the district police chief.
Saintala Incident and IIC Transfer
On Sunday night, a group of miscreants allegedly barged into the Badmal police outpost under Saintala police station, hurled abuses, and assaulted outpost officer Harekrushna Majhi. Despite visiting the spot and reviewing the situation personally, Saintala IIC Sushanta Kumar Badhei reportedly took no immediate action.
The matter escalated after a video of the assault went viral on social media and was widely reported by local media outlets. Acting on orders from the SP, a case was registered and one of the key accused, Ramesh Bastia, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon and produced before the court. His bail plea was rejected, and he has been sent to jail. Police have assured that other accused persons will be arrested soon.
In view of the controversy, IIC Sushanta Kumar Badhei has been transferred to the district police headquarters.
Kantabanji Incident and IIC Transfer
In another high-profile case, Kantabanji IIC Rashmita Behera faced public anger after allegations surfaced against her husband, Aravind Mahapatra, who was accused of being intoxicated and misbehaving with a local youth, Pratik Arya, at a public place on Tuesday night.
Reports also alleged that Rashmita Behera used her official authority to intimidate the victims, bringing them to the police station in a police vehicle late at night. Around midnight, more than 100 locals gathered outside the police station, protesting what they termed “police high-handedness” and demanding a medical test for Mahapatra.
However, despite written complaints from the victim, no FIR was registered against the accused, and the case was reportedly hushed up. This inaction fueled further outrage, leading to her transfer.
Today, SP Abhilash G ordered her transfer from Kantabanji police station to Saintala, while Gopal Chandra Karna from the district headquarters has been appointed as the new IIC of Kantabanji.
Additional Reshuffles
Along with these changes, SI Saroj Rath has been posted to Saintala police station, and SI Panchanan Khuas has been transferred to Turekela police station from the headquarters.
The transfers are being viewed as a strong message from the police administration to restore public confidence and discipline within the force. Locals have been discussing the incidents widely, with many seeing the transfers as a necessary step to address public grievances.
