Odisha: Senior BMC Officer Thrashed, Kicked and Dragged Out of Office HQ; Naveen Patnaik Urges CM to Act

New Delhi: A senior municipal officer was brutally assaulted by a group of individuals at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in Bhubaneswar, showed a video circulating on social media on Monday (June 30).

The incident reportedly took place during a weekly grievance hearing of the corporation. In the video, the officer, Ratnakar Sahoo, an OAS additional commissioner of BMC, was seen being thrashed by a group of six or seven individuals, kicked and dragged out of the office. 

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik shared the video on his X handle, expressing shock and demanded chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take immediate and exemplary action against the culprits.

He also alleged that the incident took place in front of a BJP corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated BJP MLA candidate.

I am utterly shocked seeing this video.

Today, Shri Ratnakar Sahoo, OAS Additional Commissioner, BMC, a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary was dragged from his office and brutally kicked and assaulted in front of a BJP Corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated… pic.twitter.com/yf7M3dLt9C

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 30, 2025

“I am utterly shocked seeing this video. Today, Shri Ratnakar Sahoo, OAS Additional Commissioner, BMC, a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary was dragged from his office and brutally kicked and assaulted in front of a BJP Corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated BJP MLA Candidate.

What is more appalling is that this happened in broad daylight, in the heart of the capital city-#Bhubaneswar to a senior officer while he was in his office, hearing grievances of people,” he said.

Questioning the state of law and order in the state, now ruled by a BJP government, he said, “I ask @MohanMOdisha Ji to take immediate and exemplary action against not only those who perpetrated but more importantly the political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack. The people named by the officer in his FIR have behaved like criminals. If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the Government.”

“I only hope that Shri Majhi directs immediate action to be taken to restore faith in his government and not allow this heinous act to go unpunished like the assault on an officer by the ex-Governor’s son. The people of #Odisha will not forgive this,” he added.

Meanwhile, BJD workers and BMC employees took out a protest against the assault on Sahoo, reportedly causing a road blockade on Janpath, a major thoroughfare in the city, that paralysed traffic.

Mayor Sulochana Das, who was also detained for protesting against the assault, told Livemint that “nobody is safe” in Odisha.

An FIR was filed at Kharvel Nagar police station under sections 333 (trespass), 132 (assault or criminal force ), 121(1), 121(2) (causing hurt), 109 (attempt to murder), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 140(2) (kidnapping/abduction), 304 (seizing movable property), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. 

The police have arrested three individuals so far – Jeevan Rout, Rashmi Mahapatra, and Debashis Pradhan.

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