Female home guard ‘torture’: BJP says ‘barbarism crossed all limits’, demands arrest of DIG & wife

With the suicide attempt of a female home guard following alleged torture by a senior police officer's wife triggering outrage across Odisha, the state unit of BJP on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJD government. 

The party demanded the arrest of the DIG rank police officer and his wife. 

The victim, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack, has accused the wife of the senior IPS officer of so much torture on her that she even attempted to end her life and in the process, lost her two legs.

Senior advocate of Orissa High Court and BJP leader Pitambar Acharya said that the incident has crossed all the limits of humanity.

“The barbarism of the wife of a Senior IPS officer leading to the suicide attempt of a woman home guard engaged in private household menial works has surpassed all canons of inhumanity and depicts the exploitation of woman. The mere transfer of the DIG does not absolve the couple of criminal liability under prevailing laws and both of them need to be arrested immediately for having been involved in cognizable and non-bailable offences. The @CMO_Odisha who beats the drum of “maa ku samman” (honour for women) may immediately order for arrest of the couple who have shown highest degree of cruelty to a serving lowly paid police personnel,” tweeted Acharya.

“The woman home guard who lost her two legs in the train line is leading a hapless life with two grown up daughters and has lost her husband 22 years back. The lady became permanently incapacitated and would be confined to bed for the rest of her life if at all she survives. The daughters have become orphans in a sense. The gruesome cruelty of an IPS officer who has vows to protect human life, safety and security ultimately turns to be an abettor of killing. The officer and his wife have no excuse in law but to submit to the rigours of the laws. The entire expenses of the family should be recovered from the salary of this officer,” he further tweeted.

“The officer has a chequered career of cruelty while serving as SP, Ganjam for instituting false cases against innocent citizens for furthering the political prospects of the ruling party. The track record shows that he has scant regards for human rights and present one is a glaring example of flagrant violation of precious human rights. The @NHRC & @womencommission may take suo mottu cognisance of the offence and take the couple to task. This is a rarest of the rare case where @DoPTGoI may initiate stern actions against the erring IPS officer under whose nose the wife was inflicting torture day in and day out on a hapless woman who diligently served them as a domestic help,” the tweet further read adding that the protectors of law have shown the highest degree of diabolic conduct in a civil society governed by rule of law and the incident warrants exemplary punishments to deter recurrence of such an unfortunate incident in the future. High time for the civil society to react. 

BJP leaders today met Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal in this regard on Wednesday demanding stern action against the concerned DIG and his wife.

“We have also demanded jobs for both the daughters of the victim. The government is trying to suppress the matter by transferring the DIG. Stern action should be taken against the DIG and his wife and justice should be provided to the victim,” said BJP vice-president Lekhashree Samantsinghar. 

Meanwhile, the State Home Guard DG office stated that a preliminary report has been sought from Angul SP in this regard. The woman home guard will be questioned about the matter after her recovery. The State government will bear the entire cost of her treatment. If required, home guard job will be provided for her daughters.

Moreover, taking suo motu cognizance of the matter, the State Women’s Commission lodged a complaint. The Commission has ordered Crime Branch ADG to launch an investigation into the matter and submit a report within 15 days.