Demanding immediate arrest and prosecution of suspended IPS officer Satish Gajbhiye, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a massive rally and gheraoed the office of the Director-General of Police (DGP) here at the police headquarters on Friday.
A 24-member delegation led by State party president KV Singh Deo submitted a memorandum to DGP Sanjeev Marik urging him to initiate criminal proceedings against Gajbhiye and treat the three-page memorandum as evidence against him. Speaking to the media after holding a discussion with the BJP delegates outside his office, Marik said the memorandum would be examined and appropriate steps would be taken as per the law.
Detailing about last week's turmoil in Kendrapada leading to a huge public protest against self-styled godman Santosh Raul alias Sarathi Baba, the memorandum alleged that the then Kendrapada SP Gajbhiye acted in a very unprofessional manner and unleashed a reign of terror by brutally assaulting Sarathi protestors. “Even the school and college-bound students, innocent and handicapped public, and women were subjected to unprovoked and unlawful police lathicharge and high-handedness,” the memorandum said, adding that the SP in an inebriated state was leading these excesses from the front.
Stating that Gajbhiye is a habitual offender and earned public ire wherever he was posted in the State, the memorandum also alleged that Gajbhiye has had close links with Sarathi Baba and was involved in chit fund scam. Claiming that the IPS officer has amassed huge landed properties and concealed them from the Government, the memorandum stated that he has clearly violated the Service Conduct Rules.
After his transfer, the officer has criticised the Government in the media in which he had even threatened to move the court of law if any further action is taken against him, the memorandum said, arguing that this is a fit case to dismiss the officer from the service.
Earlier, over 5,000 BJP activists led by several leaders held a massive rally and congregated at the police headquarters with placards and slogans. Considering the gravity of the situation, the police had promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC around 100 metres of the DGP office and deployed nearly 30 platoons of force to maintain law and order.