The Odisha State Human Rights Commission (OSHRC) on Thursday asked the Home Guard DG and the Mayurbhanj District Superintendent of Police to submit their respective inquiry reports on the kneel-down punishment meted out to four Home Guards, including a woman, for being dressed inappropriately at Baripada of Mayurbhanj district.
The commission taking cognisance of a petition filed by a rights activist asked the duo to file their replies in four weeks.
The four Home Guards had been ordered to kneel down before the District Home Guard Office by Reserve Inspector Ashok Kumar Sethi for violating dress code.
Meanwhile, Mayurbhanj SP R Prakash recorded the statements of the four Home Guards on Thursday and also relieved the Reserve Inspector from his duty. Sethi had already received his transfer order a few days back but was not relieved.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the State and the Home Guards’ Association has threatened to embark on an agitation if stringent action is not taken against the guilty.
Senior police officials have opined that the Reserve Inspector had no rights to punish the Home Guards. Before punishing them, he should have issued show-cause notices to them.
