BHUBANESWAR : With no action taken by police or the BJP against Nilagiri MLA Santosh Khatua for making obscene remarks against her, BJD general secretary Lekhashree Samantasinghar on Monday knocked the doors of the Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) seeking justice.
In a memorandum submitted to the OSCW, Lekhashree demanded Khatua’s immediate arrest. The sections of BNS under which Khatua has been charged by police are cognisable and, thus, his custodial interrogation is required, she said.
Lekhashree also urged the commission to direct the state government to ensure her safety since the police have taken no action against the BJP MLA. “Since Khatua lives near my home in Nilagiri and I have to travel frequently because of the nature of my work, I fear for my safety. I request the commission to direct the state government and police to ensure my safety as well as my family,” she said.
Former minister Tukuni Sahu, who accompanied Lekhashree, lashed out at the BJP government for its failure to ensure safety of women in the state. She pointed out that the posts of the chairperson and secretary of OSCW are lying vacant and not filled up by the new government. “We submitted the memorandum to the officer who is in charge as secretary and expected an inquiry will be ordered into the incident,” she said.
Meanwhile, Khatua defended his remarks against Lekhashree by stating that every action has a reaction. “I do not have any remorse or regret. If somebody comes and hits you, you will also strike back. You cannot guarantee that the reaction will be proportionate to the action,” he said and added that the persons who brought the allegation of elephant poaching against him had, in fact, killed the tusker.
“The BJD leaders have conspired to defame me because of my growing popularity in the area. I am prepared for any action for telling the truth. FIRs have been filed and the law will take its own course,” he said.
Khatua had passed obscene remarks against Lekhashree after she along with other BJD leaders alleged his involvement in elephant poaching in Nilagiri. Three of the five accused in a recent case of elephant poaching were arrested from the MLA’s farmhouse, they had said.