Bhubaneswar, Feb 11 (PTI) Opposition BJD on Wednesday demanded that the Odisha DGP tender an apology after the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) said that an Arms Act case against its party leaders was false.
The police registered the “false case” under the Arms Act against the leaders following a protest against a move to change the name of Ravenshaw College in Cuttack in 2024.
The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on January 30 called upon the DGP to instruct police stations to the effect that when a complaint is lodged which involves a political angle or which prima facie discloses political vendetta against any of the adversary, a preliminary inquiry should be made.
“And if at all clinching materials are available against the persons named in the complaint, the FIR should be registered, and investigation should be carried out in a fair and proper manner so that the innocent persons are not subjected to harassment, being implicated in false and malicious complaints,” the panel said in its order.
It appears from the report that, though an FIR was lodged and a subsequent investigation was carried out against the accused persons, it was a false case, the OHRC said.
The petition to the OHRC was filed by BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty.
Addressing a press conference here, Mohanty said that he, along with some other politicians, had joined a torch rally in Cuttack opposing the move to change the name of Ravenshaw College. An Arms Act case was registered against his name and others, which later proved to be false during the investigation, he said.
“As the Human Rights Commission has directed the DGP to ensure that such false cases are not registered in the future, the BJD demands that the DGP should issue an apology,” Mohanty said, adding that alumni of the college and intellectuals of Cuttack had opposed the name change move.
Mohanty said that after the rights panel declared the case false, it has become evident how the police are registering cases at the instigation of the ruling BJP.
He alleged that police stations in the state are now under the control of BJP leaders, for which the people are afraid to approach the law enforcers. PTI AAM NN
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