Kendrapara: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Kendrapara superintendent of police (SP) to take appropriate action against a lady constable for allegedly slapping and manhandling a web reporter earlier this month.
While hearing a plea filed by rights activist Sagar Kumar Jena, the apex rights body directed the SP to take the action within eight weeks and inform the complainant about the action taken in the matter.
In his petition filed July 22, Jena had informed the NHRC that Bhimasen Sethy, a web reporter, had July 21 gone to cover an agitation by BJP activists in front of the SP office.
“While covering the agitation, Sethy clicked the photograph of lady constable Pinu Nayak, who was on duty there without wearing a mask. Sethy posted it on social media.
A peeved Nayak slapped the reporter in front of police as well as BJP leaders and abused him in filthy language,” the petitioner said.
The rights activist urged the Commission to direct the Chief Secretary to collect Rs 2 lakh from the lady constable and pay it to the reporter, initiate action against her and submit an action taken report within four weeks.
The SP has already ordered a DSP-level probe into the incident on the direction of IGP (CR).
Meanwhile, journalists’ associations from several districts, human rights activists, social activists, leaders of the Congress and the BJP have condemned the action of the lady constable.
In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, the mediapersons have demanded stern action against the errant cop.
Notably, the incident had sparked sharp unrest among journalists as irate scribes locked up five BJD MLAs at the district collector’s office July 22 here demanding action against the lady cop.
The journalists detained Mahakalapara MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Kendrapara MLA Sashi Bhusan Behera, Patkura MLA Sabitri Agrawal, Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo and Aul MLA Pratap Keshari Deb.
They refused to let them go and also demanded that all the three cops present during the assault must be suspended.
The legislators had come to the district collectorate to attend a virtual meeting on construction of an inter-district water reservoir at Kujang in Jagatsinghpur district on the Mahanadi river.
The journalists released the MLAs when district administration officials assured disciplinary against the policewoman.
The journalists had also met Collector Amrit Ruturaj at his residential office and submitted a memorandum demanding suspension of the concerned cops.
PNN