Bhubaneswar, 1 July (H.S.): Employees of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) staged a cease work agitation on Tuesday, donning black badges to protest the violent assault on Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo. The demonstration comes a day after six individuals allegedly stormed into Sahoo’s office and physically assaulted him in a shocking incident that unfolded in full view of staff.

The attack reportedly stemmed from a contentious phone call between Sahoo and a local BJP leader. The assailants allegedly dragged the senior official by his collar and beat him severely, leaving the BMC administration and its employees in a state of deep shock.

In solidarity with Sahoo and in protest against the incident, BMC officers and staff halted work for the day while demanding swift justice and enhanced security measures.

“The incident has deeply hurt our staff and officers. It is extremely unfortunate. We are committed to taking all necessary steps to improve security and strengthen internal protocols,” said BMC Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.

When questioned about reports that the CCTV cameras at the time of the assault were not functioning, Patil responded, “We will investigate whether the cameras were operational. If they were not, we will determine the reason for the malfunction.”

So far, three individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, while police have launched a manhunt to trace and apprehend the remaining suspects.

The assault has drawn sharp condemnation from several quarters. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik and BMC Mayor Sulochana Das have both denounced the violence and called for a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda