CCTV captures Boudh IIC ‘assaulting’ night watchman; victim alleges drunken police brutality

A disturbing case of alleged police brutality has rocked Boudh district after CCTV footage emerged showing the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Boudh Town Police Station and other personnel thrashing a night watchman on a public road.

The incident, which occurred past midnight on August 14 near a lodge in the Rajanpali area of Boudh town, has now sparked widespread outrage.

CCTV Evidence Surfaces

According to sources, a police van stopped outside a lodge in Rajanpali past midnight. Inside the vehicle were IIC Ranjit Muni and several constables.

When the officers confronted night watchman Jogeswar Mallik, who was stationed outside the lodge, they allegedly asked him about the whereabouts of the lodge owner. Mallik reportedly replied that he had no knowledge. Enraged by the response, the policemen dragged him onto the road and beat him mercilessly.

The entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras installed near the lodge. The footage, now circulating locally, shows the IIC and other uniformed personnel assaulting the night guard even as buses passed by them.

Victim’s Testimony

Mallik, who works as a night guard and is the son of a woman Home Guard posted at Boudh police station, has since approached the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) to lodge a formal complaint.

In his grievance, he has alleged that the IIC and his subordinates were heavily drunk during the incident and subjected him to “third-degree” torture without provocation.

"He came looking for the owner. Since I am a night watcher and had no clue of his whereabouts, I told them the same. They then pulled me over and interrogated me. I informed them that I had last seen the owner in the morning. They still beat me in a manner, and it appeared that they were drunk,” Mallik stated in his complaint.

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No Action Yet

Following the assault, Mallik directly reported the matter to the Additional SP and demanded justice. However, despite the presence of visual evidence and the seriousness of the allegations, no official departmental action has yet been initiated against the accused officers, as of the last reports.

Repeated attempts to obtain a response from senior district police officials have so far yielded no result.