"Nobody is safe here": BMC Mayor Sulochana Das after assault on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation official

Jun 30, 2025

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 30 : Tensions rose in Bhubaneswar on Monday after the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said the officer was dragged out of his office by 5-6 men, assaulted, and an attempt was made to abduct him.
She demanded that an attempted murder case be filed and that all the accused be arrested.
Speaking to the reporters, Das said, "Nobody is safe here. A government officer was dragged out of his office by 5-6 men. He was assaulted, and there was an attempt to abduct him. We had the visuals and even shared them with the media. An attempt to murder case should be filed against them. We had filed an FIR, but only three people have been arrested. All accused should be arrested..."
BJD leaders and workers held a protest against the incident, during which police detained several.
BJD MLA Ananta Narayan Jena has demanded the arrest of Jagannath Pradhan, calling him the main person behind the reported assault on Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of the BMC.

Jena questioned the administration's functioning, and said, "Jagannath Pradhan, the kingpin, must be arrested. We will hold demonstrations. How is the Administration running?"
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also expressed his deep shock at "brutal kicking and assault" of Additional Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and called upon Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take immediate and exemplary action against the guilty including "political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack".
Patnaik said on X that the official was "dragged from his office and brutally kicked" and attached a video.
"I am utterly shocked seeing this video. Today, Shri Ratnakar Sahoo, OAS Additional Commissioner, BMC, a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary was dragged from his office and brutally kicked and assaulted in front of a BJP Corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated BJP MLA Candidate," Patnaik said.
The BJD leader said what is more appalling is that this happened in broad daylight, in the heart of the capital city to a senior officer while he was in his office, hearing grievances of people.
Hitting out at the BJP government in the state, he said "if a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the Government".
"I ask @MohanMOdisha Ji to take immediate and exemplary action against not only those who purported but more importantly the political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack. The people named by the officer in his FIR have behaved like criminals," he said.
Patnaik said government should ensure immediate action.
"I only hope that Shri Majhi directs immediate action to be taken to restore faith in his government and not allow this heinous act to go unpunished like the assault on an officer by the ex-Governor's son. The people of Odisha will not forgive this," he said.