Odisha IPS Officer Brijesh Rai transferred following torture allegations by woman homeguard

Bhubaneswar: Following torture allegations leveled against the North Central Range DIG of Odisha Police Brijesh Kumar Rai and his wife by a woman homeguard, Odisha Home Department transferred the IPS officer to state police headquarters in Cuttack.

Rai is currently posted in Angul since January 2023.

He was transferred after a woman homeguard lost her legs in a suicide attempt after allegedly being tortured and humiliated by the IPS Officer and his wife.

As per the order issued by the DGP, 2005 batch IPS officer Jai Narayan Pankaj was posted in place of Rai. Pankaj, currently working as IG of Police, STF, will be in additional charge of NCR, Talcher and Principal, PTC, Angul, in addition to his own duties.

The victim, identified as Souridri Sahu of Angul district, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack.

According to allegations brought by the victim with Homeguard DG Sudhanshu Sarangi, Rai had engaged her at his residence in Angul for household work.

Allegedly, Rai’s wife used to beat and humiliate Souridri over negligence in work. This apart, she had been threatening the victim to dismiss her from the job.

Taking a suo moto cognizance of the issue, Odisha Human Rights Commission registered a case and directed the DG of Odisha Police to submit the report by September 15.