Bhubaneswar, Feb 28: The Commissionerate Police received praises for swift action into the recent incident of a Swedish national being sexually harassed by a sevayat near the north gate of Lingaraj temple here and filing charge sheet in four days.
However, the Lingaraj tourist police cell that played a major role in proving justice to the victim is struggling with poor infrastructure and manpower.
The Lingaraj tourist police cell has registered 21 cases between 2020 and 2022, most of the cases are snatching and theft from tourists.
The sanctioned strength of the tourist cell in Lingaraj police station is one sub-inspector (SI), an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a havildar along with six constables. However, the cell functions with an ASI and five constables.
In 2015, the Odisha government had set up eight tourist police cells in the state, including three in Bhubaneswar at Lingaraj, Dhauli and Nandankanan to ensure safety and security of tourists at vital tourism destinations. The eight tourist police cells are struggling with poor infrastructure and manpower, nine years after their establishment.
The sanctioned strength of Nandankanan and Dhauli tourist cells is also the same. But Nandankanan tourist cell is functioning with one ASI and two constables while Dhauli has just one havildar.
Both the tourist police cells have registered 23 cases each between 2020 and 2022.
A cell was later set up in Khandagiri police station but the state government is yet to appoint its manpower.
