Odisha: Two-year field duty ban on lady IIC for excesses

The Commission asked the Odisha government to send Sandhyarani Jena for training on how to deal with accused and complex situations.
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)

BHUBANESWAR: In yet another indictment on police excesses, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Friday directed State Government not to allot inspector-ranked officer Sandhyarani Jena any field duty or posting for two years over her alleged involvement in custodial torture.

The Commission also asked the Government to send Jena for training on how to deal with accused and complex situations.

“Home department may consider any other action against the officer as deemed fit and proper,” said the order issued by OHRC Chairperson Justice Bimala Prasad Das and Member Asim Amitabh Dash on Monday. It has to be complied within two months. 

Taking strong exception to torture of a youth Chitta Ranjan Mohanta by Jena who was then Patna police station Inspector-In-Charge (IIC), OHRC on May  19 had directed the SP and the officer concerned to submit a  detailed report within four weeks.

The Commission had also directed the Home Secretary and DGP to pay Rs 10,000 as interim compensation to the youth from salary of the lady officer.

Jena had gone on to challenge the Commission’s order in the High Court in May but the court cited that it was not appropriate to directly interfere with the order of OHRC and asked her to submit a response to the Commission. 

In her response to OHRC, Jena had said that Mohanta had behaved inappropriately inside the police station as she had to use a baton to warn him. She claimed that he had sustained no injuries when he was produced before a court or he had made any such complaint. 

On May 23, DGP Abhay placed Jena under suspension for her misconduct, video of which had gone viral on social media. She is still under suspension.

In the viral video, Jena was seen assaulting a youth with a stick inside the police station. The victim and two others were apprehended by Patna police on March 25 for allegedly thrashing a man over a land dispute. 

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