Odisha CM must reply on torture of IAS officer’s wife: Opp

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 12:

The Opposition Congress today sought a reply from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the steps taken by the government to provide security to the wife of a senior IAS officer accused of torturing her physically and mentally.

Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati raised the issue in the Assembly through a special mention during Zero Hour.

“The woman has filed a written complaint with the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell on December 5, 2014 that her husband is subjecting her to mental and physical torture. She has complained of a threat to her life and has said she needs police security. In view of this, she urged the CM for immediate action against him,” Bahinipati said.

The senior IAS allegedly has an extra-marital affair with a woman bureaucrat against whom allegations of compromising national security have been levelled earlier, Bahinipati claimed.

Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra demanded that the government should share the details of the case in the House. “The IAS officer’s wife has sought security from Chief Minister and it has not been provided to her as of now. The Assembly and the people of the state have the right to know who is the accused, whether investigation has begun, what steps have been taken against him, whether the allegations are justified or false,” he said.

BJP was a little  more circumspect, but justified the propriety of raising the issue in the House. “We should not interfere in anybody’s personal family matters or family life. But when allegations are brought against an administrative officer that he is into extramarital affair and somebody has information that confidential matters pertaining to the state are at risk of being compromised, the issue can certainly be raised,” BJP legislature party leader Basant Panda said.

The ruling BJD was predictably evasive. “Personal matters should not be brought to the Assembly. She has written a letter to Chief Minister and the veracity of the complaint is not yet known. Since it is a purely personal matter, there is no need for anyone to interfere in this,” Excise Minister Dr Damodar Rout expressed.

“When there are so many issues in the state, raising a personal issue of an individual in the House is distasteful and beyond the purview of a healthy mindset,” BJD leader Sashibhusan Behera chimed in.

As per reports, the woman has shifted from her husband’s residence to another flat, unable to bear the physical and mental torture allegedly inflicted by her husband.