Video of Odisha forest officer getting body massage from contractual workers goes viral

A forest range officer in Malkangiri district has been accused of threatening and forcing some contractual workers to give him body massage. The incident came to the fore after the workers narrated their ordeal through a video.

The video clip of the act also has gone viral on various social media platforms prompting angry social media users to demand immediate suspension as well as arrest of the officer in question.

In the viral video, two contractual workers can be seen giving a back massage with oil to the forest officer. While one worker gave him back massage, another massaged his legs. The video appeared to be shot by the contractual workers themselves to show their plight.

They also alleged severe mental and physical harassment by the range officer.

“The ranger is newly appointed. He has been torturing us and behaving with us like animals. He doesn’t see us like human beings. Beyond our duty hours, he makes us do his personal works like cooking and giving him body massage. Are we not humans?,” a contractual worker alleged.

Similarly, another contractual worker alleged, “We try to respect him as he is a ranger. But, he is threatening to terminate us from our jobs and making us do his personal works. He even doesn’t let us go to have our meals. We are forced to work overtime on a daily basis.”