Former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik on Thursday expressed his displeasure over the handcuffing of Odisha Jan Morcha secretary general and former MlA Jagneswar Babu by the police while being produced before court on Tuesday. He urged the Chief Minister to take immediate action on the flouting of the norms laid down by the Supreme Court.
Patnaik said, “I condemn the manner in which the police treated Shri Babu. The use of a handcuff without taking prior permission from the court is a violation of the law laid down by the Supreme Court and also the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission. Shri Babu does not hold a criminal background and he was ill-treated by the police.”
While holding a demonstration on the highway near the Vani Vihar Square against the handcuffing of Babu, the police also arrested Babu’s advocate Suman Biswal along with hundreds of OJM supporters. Biswal was also handcuffed in the police van.
Demanding stringent action against the unlawful policing system, Patnaik said, “It is unfortunate that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has used his power in this manner to harm his political rivals while violating the orders of the Supreme Court. In a democratic country, such misuse of the system to harass one’s political rivals needs to be condemned by all right thinking people.”
“The Chief Minister holds the Home portfolio and must take responsibility for such violation of human rights. I also demand that the CM apologise to Shri Babu, his family and the people of Odisha publicly,” said Niranjan Patnaik.