Bhubaneswar: Facing a rise in crime, the Odisha police are also contending with troubling allegations of misconduct and excessive force within their ranks. In the last eight months, multiple officers have been suspended for offenses including corruption, abuse of power, and custodial torture. Experts suggest that these disciplinary measures have contributed to a growing trust deficit in the department.
Senior lawyer Siddharth Das stated that these suspensions reveal systemic issues. He noted that public trust in law enforcement diminishes due to incidents involving officers like Sandhyarani Jena, who was suspended on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a mother and son at the Talchua police station in Kendrapada district.
“She was previously suspended in 2020 for a similar custodial torture case at Patna police station in Keonjhar district, and again in 2024 while serving as IIC of Lakhanpur police station in Jharsuguda district, for transferring the bodies of three accident victims to another police station’s jurisdiction. The Odisha Human Rights Commission had even instructed the police in November 2020 not to assign her to any police station for two years. Yet, she has been reinstated multiple times. This indicates a troubling lack of accountability,” Das alleged.
Human rights advocate Prafulla Mohanty asserted that such officers should be dismissed. “There are officers who routinely display brutality towards suspects, accused individuals, and even complainants. Senior IPS officers bizarrely continue to assign such officers to police stations. This is not merely negligence; it is complicity,” Mohanty stated.
A retired DGP, who wished to remain anonymous, acknowledged that the department’s credibility is at risk. “Every suspension makes the news, but the public seldom sees any follow-up actions. The perception is that officers are protected by the system. Without reforming our internal disciplinary processes, the force will keep losing respect.”
A current senior officer defended the police, asserting, “It is unjust to generalize the entire force. Thousands of officers serve with integrity and commitment. While there are indeed some bad apples, the suspensions indicate that the department is taking action against those who err.”
Source: The Times of India
