Balasore district police put iron shackles on the leg of a journalist and chained him to a hospital bed in Balasore. The incident has sparked a furore with the media fraternity in Odisha, demanding action against the guilty police officials.

Loknath Dalei, who works for a prominent vernacular newspaper and TV channel Kanak News, was admitted to the hospital after allegedly being manhandled by the police at Nilgiri police station. Policemen are alleged to have deliberately put an iron cuff on one of his legs while being treated at the hospital with the sole intention of humiliating him.

Official sources said that Dalei had an argument with a homeguard of Nilgiri police station, about 20km from Balasore, following a minor accident on Monday. As per reports, Dalei was going home on his motorcycle when his vehicle collided with the motorbike of home guard Niranjan Rana.

Following the accident, a scuffle ensued between the two. However, the issue was sorted out with the interference of the local people. But home guard Rana (41) had later lodged an FIR (the copy of which is with The Telegraph) in connection with the incident.

Talking to The Telegraph, Rana said: “I was in police dress. Following the accident, Dalei had slapped me. Even he used filthy language against me and threatened me with dire consequences. However, the issue was sorted out following the interference of the local people there. As I had felt humiliated, I decided to file an FIR.”

Following the FIR, the police lodged a case under section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (utters obscene words), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 189 (threat of injury to public servant) and 332 (voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty) of IPC against the journalist.

The Nilgiri administration had a grudge against Dalei, as the journalist was taking up various issues at the sub-divisional level in the district, and they thought this to be the right opportunity to teach him a lesson. Even the Nilgiri tehsildar had filed a report against Dalei earlier.

Dalei told The Telegraph, from his hospital bed: “On Wednesday, the police called me and I went to the police station. I had earlier thought a compromise would be made. The police made me sit for five hours. When I tried to get in touch with my friends, the local police officer thrashed me and I fell down. I almost fainted. Later on Wednesday evening, I was admitted to the Balasore district hospital, which is about 20km from Nilgiri.”

Dalei said, “Nearly seven guards carrying guns are guarding me here. On Thursday morning, two constables came and put iron shackles on my leg as if I would flee from the hospital.”

Dalei had also made it clear that there were no criminal cases against him in the local police station and only the local tehsildar had filed a case against his reporting on local issues.

Editor of Kanak News, Manoranjan Mishra, told The Telegraph, “An attempt has been made to stifle the voice of journalists at the local level. As Dalei has filed a number of reports on various burning issues including illegal drug trafficking, he has earned the wrath of the local administration.”

Facing severe criticism, inspector in-charge of Nilgiri police station, Draupadi Das, told reporters that she had no idea about the journalist’s leg being fettered. She said she had not issued orders for this. “I have no idea about it,” Das told The Telegraph.

Balasore district superintendent of police Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra told The Telegraph, “The issue has come to my notice. I have deputed a senior police officer of DSP (deputy superintendent of police) rank to enquire into the matter and submit a report. Once the report comes, I will take action as per the law.”

Senior journalist from Balasore, Sibdas Kundu, said: “Initially, Dalei was not given a bed but his leg was put in an iron cuff. Later he was given a bed following protests. We condemn this behaviour of the police.”