BHUBANESWAR: A Romanian woman has registered a case with the police alleging that she was manhandled, abused and humiliated by the crew of a local news channel at a hotel in Chandikhole of Jajpur district on Wednesday.
She has named news head of the channel Satya Prakash Nayak and others in the FIR which was registered with Mahila Police here on Friday. A case has been booked under Sections 294/323/341/354 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
The foreign national, who is a follower of Shankarananda Giri, stated that she had put up at the hotel in Chandikhole on her way to Kolkata. On Wednesday, she heard noise from the hall of the hotel. When she ventured out of her room, she was shoved, manhandled and abused by the representatives of the channel who she alleged were sent by Nayak.
According to IIC Bijayini Malla, the complainant stated that she was mobbed by the crew who asked her about having links with Shankaranand Giri, who heads Kriya Yoga Ashram in Bhubaneswar. Giri was also staying in the same hotel.
On Thursday, the parents’ association of Prabhujee English Medium School, run by the ashram, filed a complaint with Sahid Nagar police stating that the channel has been defaming the school at Nayak’s behest.
A counter case was filed by a reporter of the channel against Giri on the grounds that the yoga preacher’s men terrorised, at gun-point, the reporters and cameraman of the TV channel which was covering a related story.
Contacted, Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma confirmed that three FIRs have been registered and said police will go by the merit of the case. “We will proceed as per available evidence related to the cases,” he said.
All efforts to contact Nayak proved futile. Calls and text messages did not elicit any response.