Engineer–contractor row in Bolangir PWD escalates; cases filed against both

Bolangir: A confrontation between a senior engineer and a contractor inside the Public Works Department (PWD) office in Bolangir has escalated into a legal dispute, with police registering cases against both individuals.

The incident reportedly took place within the PWD premises and has drawn significant attention in official and contractor circles across the district.

Cases Registered, Inquiry Underway

Based on complaints lodged by both parties, Bolangir Town Police have initiated separate cases and begun an investigation into the matter.

A case has been registered against Superintending Engineer Ashutosh Jena, while contractor Premaranjan Panigrahi has also been booked. The case has been filed under Section 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have summoned both individuals to appear for questioning at 11 am today.

Saroj Kumar Upadhyay, SDPO, Bolangir Sadar, said, “The Superintending Engineer of Bolangir, Ashutosh Jena, has submitted a report regarding the incident, and a separate complaint has also been filed by Premaranjan Panigrahi against him. Both individuals are currently present at the police station, and further inquiry is underway.”

He added that both parties allegedly misbehaved and used abusive language toward each other. The investigation is being conducted based on the reports submitted by them.

Officials stated that further clarity is expected after examining relevant documents and reviewing CCTV footage from the PWD office premises.

Allegations and Counter-Allegations

The dispute is reportedly linked to allegations that the Superintending Engineer showed favour to an outside contractor. Premaranjan Panigrahi has alleged that an “engineer raj” is prevailing in the Bolangir PWD and claimed that contractors are being threatened and verbally abused over minor issues.

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The disagreement allegedly escalated into a heated altercation between the engineer and the contractor inside the office.

Police have said the investigation is ongoing to ascertain the facts and determine the sequence of events surrounding the incident.