SAMBALPUR: Four days after the District Information and Public Relations Officer (DIPRO) Hemant Nayak was allegedly abducted by miscreants at gun-point and threatened to leave Sambalpur, police have complained of non-cooperation by the official in the connection.
While Nayak has not lodged any police complaint yet, SP Kanwar Vishal Singh said the DIPRO was contacted after media reports on the alleged incident. He was asked to lodge a complaint but in vain.
“After failing to receive any response from the DIPRO, we decided to move the Collector over the issue and request him to persuade the official to lodge a complaint with the police,” Singh said.
The SP said if Nayak is unwilling to come to Sambalpur, he can lodge the complaint from Bhubaneswar or through WhatsApp.
Nayak was allegedly abducted by four unidentified persons at gunpoint on February 28 and released only after he submitted a written assurance that he would go on leave until he was transferred elsewhere. Nayak had joined as DIPRO, Sambalpur on February 20 after being transferred from Dhenkanal on December 27 last year. However, he took a long leave prior to his joining.
Meanwhile, Nayak was reluctant to speak on the incident. He said since he is a Government officer, he cannot talk to media without the permission of his higher-ups. He said he had informed Sambalpur Collector of the matter through a whatsapp message on the day of the incident. The Collector then sent him the mobile number of Sambalpur SP.
A police officer had called him and he had explained the entire incident to him. Nayak said he had also apprised the matter to both the Commissioner-cum-Secretary and the Director of Information and Public Relations department.
On the issue of police complaint, he said there is no need as he has already given details of the entire incident to the police officer. Collector Subham Saxena could not be contacted for his comments on the matter.
Police dilemma
DIPRO Hemant Nayak is yet to lodge a complaint on his abduction.
Police have allowed Nayak to lodge a complaint from Bhubaneswar or through WhatsApp.
He took a long leave prior to his joining at Sambapur.
Nayak said he had explained the incident to a police officer.