Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik orders crime branch probe into lawyers-Collector row in Sambalpur. Patnaik on Tuesday ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the row, asking the investigators to submit their report as soon as possible.
Describing the incident as shocking, Patnaik said the law would take its own course on the issue. “I was shocked to see the incident in the media,” he said.
Meanwhile, Patnaik also directed Collector Mrinalini Darswal and the Superintendent of Police, Sambalpur to submit detailed reports on the incident separately to initiate appropriate administrative action. It should be noted that in a shocking development on Monday, members of the District Bar Association had a violent confrontation with the district collector Mrilalini Darswal first inside a bus and then on the District Judge Court campus where, the collector alleged, she was manhandled by advocates.
Government employees from across the district took out a rally from the official residence of the collector and submitted the minutes of the meeting, which was organised by them yesterday, to the revenue divisional commissioner (northern division) and the inspector general of police, northern range. Condemning the manhandling of the collector and the district sub registrar, the employees demanded immediate police action against the lawyers.
It should be noted that the state government on Monday asked the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern) to send a report on the incident of violence in Sambapur and the alleged ransacking of collector’s residential office and misbehaviour meted out to the collector by the lawyers.
Revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro, who apprised chief minister Naveen Panaik about the situation in Sambalpur, told that the RDC had been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident soon. He described the incident as unfortunate.
