Odisha Police names complainant’s husband as accused, terms it as printing mistake

In a bizarre incident, the Rajkanika police in Kendrapara has made the husband of a land dispute-complainant, the accused in the FIR.

As per reports, the complainant, Kabita Behera, an ASHA worker from Ganja village under Rajkanika police limits has reportedly been battling a land dispute with her neighbor since two years. After getting no way out, Behera decided to lodge an FIR with the Rajkanika police against her neighbor who has allegedly been harassing Behera since long.

However, she got the shock of her life when she received the FIR copy from the police where her husband, Bijay Senapati has been named as the prime accused along with her neighbours.

Behera alleged, “My neighbor has connections with the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders. So they have been harassing me over land dispute and threatening to make my life hell if I do not forfeit my claim on the land.”

“I had filed a complaint at the Rajkanika police station. But the police made my husband the prime accused. They are now terming it as a mistake but, the case has been forwarded to the Court and I do not have enough money to follow the case and make my husband innocent again,” Behera said.

The police which is terming the error as a printing mistake has however put a prayer at the Court to correct the mistake in the FIR copy.

Speaking to OTV, Rajkanika IIC said, “The case is under investigation. It was actually a printing mistake and we have already prayed to the court to correct it. All other names are correct. Only her husband’s name had a printing mistake and that will be resolved soon.

The locals, however, who have termed the incident as gross negligence are not satisfied with the conduct of the Police at all.

Babuli Parida, a local social activist said, “This is an unfortunate incident. There are numerous cases where innocent people have been named in the FIRs as accused. They should mend their ways as soon as possible otherwise whatever little trust people still have with the Police, will fade away soon.”

(Reported By Banamali Sahoo, OTV)