Mayurbhanj: A senior woman police officer has been suspended after she allegedly made a pregnant woman walk for 3 kilometres when the latter was found not wearing a helmet while riding pillion on a bike.
Mayurbhanj Superintendent of Police (SP) Smit P. Parmar suspended the Officer-in-charge (OIC) of Sarat Police Station, Reena Baxala, on Sunday for gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.
Meanwhile, Sub-inspector Sanjay Pradhan, officer-in-charge of Kaptipada, has been assigned the additional charge of Sarat police station, read the ordered issued by the Mayurbhanj SP.
As per reports, one Bikram Biruli of Matkami Sahi under Sarat police limits was riding a motorcycle with his wife Gurubari Biruli, who is eight months pregnant, to a hospital in Udala for regular health check up at around 9 am yesterday.
OIC Baxala allegedly stopped him during patrolling around three kilometres away from Sarat Police Station and fined him since his wife, who was riding pillion on the motorbike, was not wearing a helmet.
Bikram, as per reports, said he would pay the penalty online as he did not have cash on him but Baxala forced him to pay offline. When he could not pay up the fine amount, Baxala allegedly took him to the police station in a van while Gurubari was left stranded on the road.
When her husband did not turn up for couple of hours, a helpless Gurubari had to walk for about three kilometres under scorching sun to reach the police station to know the whereabouts of Bikram.
"The police officer (Reena Baxala) stopped us and asked for my helmet. Though we produced all the documents including license, registration certificate etc before the cops, they penalised us. As we did not have cash, my husband agreed for online payment but the cops forced us to pay offline. Later, when they were taking my husband to the police station, I requested Madam (Baxala) to take me along but she refused. Then I decided to walk up to the police station," stated Gurubari.
Bikram alleged, "I was wearing a helmet but my wife was without a helmet for which we were penalised. They took me to the police station after I could not pay the fine in cash. They detained me for more than three hours in the police station."
Later in the day, Bikram and his wife approached the Sub-Divisional Police Office (SDPO) and filed a written complaint in connection with the incident. Following the complaint, Mayurbhanj SP suspended Baxala today.
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