Chaining of Odisha journalist: Nilagiri PS IIC Draupadi Das transferred

Bhubaneswar: Nilagiri police station IIC Draupadi Das was today transferred in connection with the chaining of a journalist to a bed at a hospital in Odisha’s Balasore district.

This apart, Investigating Officer (IO) Subarna Behera was also transferred. The two police officials have been transferred to the Police District Headquarters till the completion of the probe, said IG, Eastern Range (in-charge) Narasingha Bhol.

Earlier in the day, a Havildar was suspended in this matter.

Nilagiri police had yesterday allegedly chained a journalist to a bed while he was undergoing treatment at the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital. Moreover, Nilagiri police station IIC Draupadi Das had allegedly thrashed the journalist, following which he fell unconscious.

While the action of Nilagiri police has raised serious questions, victim Lokanath Dalei, reporter of Odia newspaper daily Sambad and its television channel Kanak News, alleged that the IIC did it intentionally as she had grudge on him after he reported the involvement of the Nilagiri police in corruption.

According to reports, an argument took place between the journalist and Niranjan Rana, a homeguard of the police station, on April 4 at Nilagiri as the vehicles of the two collided in market area. However, the matter was pacified after the intervention of a local.

On April 6, Dalei was informed that the homeguard has lodged a police complaint against him. The reporter was also asked to appear at the Nilagiri police station.

As he reached the police station, a police officer namely Subarna Behera snatched his mobile phone under the instruction of IIC Draupadi Das. The IIC then assaulted Dalei, following which he lost his consciousness.

The journalist was then taken to the Nilagiri Hospital and later shifted to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.

His ordeal was far from getting over at the healthcare facility as policemen attached a handcuff around his leg and chained him to a bed of the hospital.

“I had earlier exposed various activities of corruption and irregularities of the Nilagiri police, for which the IIC had a grudge on me. As many as 11 homeguards of the police station have got appointment by furnishing forged certificates as they had exceeded the upper age limit for the job. Besides, the IIC has been receiving bribe from drug peddlers of Nilagiri. I had reported the two incidents to bring the matter to fore,” said Dalei.