Odisha: BMC Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo hospitalised after brutal attack

Bhubaneswar, July 2: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo has been admitted to the hospital following a brutal assault by a group of miscreants on Monday. The attack, which occurred in broad daylight at his office, has sparked widespread outrage, particularly among members of the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association.

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Sahoo, an officer of the Additional Secretary rank, was reportedly beaten by a group of goons inside his office, raising serious concerns over the safety of government officials. In protest, the OAS Association has gone on mass leave and condemned the incident as a direct assault on the dignity of civil servants.

A delegation from the association has on Wednesday met Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja and Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, demanding immediate action, including the arrest of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, who has been named as the alleged mastermind behind the attack. However, Pradhan has categorically denied any involvement.

Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar Commissionerate Police have intensified their investigation. On Tuesday, they arrested two more accused—Sanjeev Mishra and Sachikanth Swain—in connection with the assault. These arrests follow the earlier detention of three others: Aparup Narayan Rout, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, and Debashis Pradhan, bringing the total number of arrests to five. Police have confirmed that several suspects are still absconding, and a manhunt is underway.

Amid mounting criticism, the Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suspended five members allegedly involved in the incident. State BJP president Manmohan Samal has announced the suspension of Corporator Aparup Narayan Raut, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Debashis Pradhan, Sachikanth Swain, and Sanjeev Mishra from the party's primary membership.

The incident has ignited a political firestorm. Former Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik condemned the attack and shared a video on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which purportedly shows the officer being dragged and assaulted in the presence of a BJP corporator associated with a losing candidate in the recent elections.

The ruling BJD has launched city-wide protests demanding justice for Sahoo, even as the political temperature in the state continues to rise. The state government now faces increasing pressure from both the administrative community and the public to ensure swift and exemplary action against those responsible.