‘Will Not Be Spared’: Odisha CM After Govt Officer Is Thrashed In Office; 3 Arrested

A shocking video of a senior government official being brutally assaulted inside the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office has sparked a major political firestorm in Odisha, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assuring that the culprits “will not be spared” and former CM Naveen Patnaik questioning the state of law and order under the new BJP government.

Three people, including a local BJP corporator, have been arrested in connection with the attack on Monday.

The viral video shows a group of men storming the office of Ratnakar Sahu, an Additional Commissioner of the BMC, during a public grievance hearing. The men are seen dragging the senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer from his chair, repeatedly kicking him, and trying to forcibly push him into a vehicle.

The attack was allegedly carried out over claims that Sahu had misbehaved with senior BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan. According to Sahu, a group of men led by Corporator Jeevan Raut accosted him in his chamber, and when he denied any misbehavior, they began abusing and assaulting him.

The incident led to immediate protests, with BMC employees staging a sit-in and the state’s powerful OAS association threatening to go on mass leave from Tuesday. However, the protest was called off late on Monday night after Chief Minister Majhi met with the association members and assured them of strict and impartial action against all perpetrators, regardless of their political affiliation.

The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has seized on the issue, with party chief Naveen Patnaik expressing his shock and condemnation. “I am utterly shocked seeing this video,” Patnaik posted on X. “If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the government?” he asked, calling for “immediate and exemplary action” against not only the attackers but also the “political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack.”

Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter, using CCTV footage to identify others involved in the assault.