Kneel discipline: OHRC seeks reply from SP, DG Home Guard

Bhubaneswar/Baripada: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Thursday asked the Mayurbhanj Superintendent of Police (SP) and Director General of Home Guard to submit their respective inquiry reports on the ‘Kneel Punishment’ given to the Home Guards over dress code violation in Baripada of Mayurbhanj district.

OHRC issued this direction acting on a petition filed by a Human Rights’ activist and has asked both to reply in four weeks.

On Wednesday, four Home Guards including a woman were ordered to kneel before the District Home Guard Office by the Reserve Inspector Ashok Kumar Sethi for violating dress code.

Mayurbhanj SP recorded the statements of the four Home Guards today and also relieved the Reserve Inspector, sources said.

Talking to OTV, the woman home guard said they were made to kneel not because of improper dress code but rather for reporting late on duty. She said, "We were knelt down for 10 to 15 minutes for reaching five minutes late on duty."