Senior IPS officer Dayal Gangwar was suspended over allegations of harassment levelled by the family of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, who was lynched on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar last month.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered the suspension of Gangwar, who was serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Home Department, said a statement issued on Thursday.
Gangwar’s name had surfaced during the investigation into the lynching of Swain, who was allegedly tied to a pole and beaten to death in Bhingarpur-Kaja in the Balianta Police Station area on May 7.
The mob attack took place after a woman accused the constable of attempting to rape her following a collision between his motorcycle and her two-wheeler, according to police.
As the incident triggered a furore in the state, Swain’s family had alleged that he was subjected to both physical and mental harassment by Gangwar, who was then ADG (Communication), and demanded that he be brought within the ambit of the investigation.
The 1998-batch IPS officer was subsequently transferred and posted as OSD in the Home Department by the state government.
Following this, ADG (Railways) Arun Bothra was directed to conduct an inquiry into allegations that Gangwar had subjected Swain to mental harassment by allegedly compelling him to perform personal and domestic chores unrelated to official duties.
Bothra was also tasked with examining whether the stress described in Swain’s personal diary had any bearing on the circumstances leading to his death. The inquiry report was submitted to the DGP last month.
The opposition BJD had also raised questions over the alleged connection between the deceased constable and the senior IPS officer, who was ADG (Railways) two years back and supposedly knew Swain since then.
The party claimed that Swain had been engaged in work at Gangwar’s residence and gymnasium instead of performing official police duties.
As part of the probe into the mob-lynching case, the state government had earlier suspended four police personnel, disengaged two home guards and transferred the inspector-in-charge of Balianta police station over their alleged roles and conduct in the incident.
Police have so far arrested 18 persons, including the prime accused, in connection with the lynching. (Agenciese)
