Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
RPF authorities have suspended their Bhubaneswar Inspector Sanjay Kumar Swain, who deserves to be prosecuted for hooliganism and attempt to murder, besides dismissal.
After the suspension order was issued on the spot last evening, people have allowed trains to move with effect from 9 PM. But, now, the department must move to dismiss him with retrospective effect.
Puri-Durg Express train, which was to reach Bhubaneswar at 6.40 PM on June 28, reached on 29th at 10 AM almost 16 hours behind the schedule. As is railway’s wont, the passengers were fed with announcement of short duration delay throughout the entire period, as a result of which, leaving the platform for refreshment was not even possible for them. It had ignited acrid protests and being informed of this, media had reached the Station to cover the matter.
When Kanak TV crew was recording police misbehavior to railway passengers that were expressing their natural discontentment over the harassment they were subjected to, Inspector Swain was found leading a rowdy pack of railway police in intimidating and attacking the victims of railway irresponsibility.
He was even misbehaving with the lady protesters and was found pulling their cloths, oblivious of where his unruly hands were touching their bodies. All on a sudden he marked that his ugly manners were captured in Kanak TV camera.
He rushed to the cameraman like a mad dog, thrashed the cameraman and snatched away the cassette from the camera, causing severe damage to it in front of him and the reporter. As they protested, he asked his accompanying pack of RPF Jawans to drag them to their PS. In addition to the two, the RPF dragged 10 passengers to the police station, where the two TV journalists were mercilessly beaten up.
Bhubaneswar scribes and general public rushed to the railway station seeking their immediate release. As Swain refused to respond, public resentment metamorphosed into track blockade, forcing cancellation of trains such as Chhatrapur-Bhubaneswar, Dibrugad-Chenai, Bhubaneswar-Palasa, Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur etc.
Rowdiest conduct of Swain continued to aggravate the situation and the major Station drowned in total chaos. RPF authorities had to put the hooligan Inspector under suspension with immediate effect.
Chief of Eastern Media Ltd that owns Kanak TV, Sri Soumy Ranjan Patnaik has demanded for return of the video cassette taken away by Swain.
To us, not only the cassette must have to be returned, but also the damaged camera must have to be replaced with a new camera of its original make.
But, should the matter end here?
We advise the administration to review if a hooligan like Swain should continue in suspended animation even.
We strongly suggest, he should be subjected to prompt investigation to find out what other punishment should be given to him over and above dismissal from service.
His offenses are witnessed by the authorities before putting him under suspension. No other mode of prosecution is necessary. The only necessity is punishing him with dismissal as his hooliganism calls for his ejection from police service. What other punishment he deserves should be determined by way of further action, so that other goons in uniform should learn how to stay orderly.