Assaulted by Governor’s son for not sending luxury car to pick him up: Odisha Raj Bhavan staffer

On July 10, Pradhan submitted a written complaint to the Governor’s principal secretary.

Raj Bhavan officials and principal secretary Saswat Mishra did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment.

Pradhan’s complaint to the principal secretary states, “Being the in-charge of Raj Bhavan, Puri, I was there since July 5 to supervise the preparedness for the visit/stay of Droupadi Murmu,  Hon’ble President of India, on July 7 and 8.” Pradhan is otherwise posted at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

He alleged that around 11.45 pm on July 7, when he was sitting in the office room, the Governor’s personal cook came and told him that Kumar wanted to see him right away.

“The moment Kumar saw me, he started scolding me in unparliamentary language and used highly objectionable slang. When I objected to such humiliation, they started slapping me,” he alleged in the complaint.

He claimed he ran out of the room and hid behind the annexe, but was found by Kumar’s personal security officers and dragged to a room, via a lift.

“Security personnel and others present there witnessed this incident. They again slapped me, threw punches on my face, kicked every part of my body, and twisted my left ankle. Kumar kept on saying that if they murder me, nobody can save me…,” he alleged.

Pradhan said he verbally narrated the alleged incident to the Governor’s principal secretary at 04.30 pm on July 8, and mailed the letter on July 10.

Speaking to the media in Bhubaneswar on Friday, Pradhan’s wife Sayoj claimed they also went to the Sea Beach police station on July 11 to file a complaint, which was not accepted. “Hence, we have mailed the complaint to the police,” she said.

The complaint alleges that Kumar was upset with Pradhan for not sending two luxury vehicles to receive him at the Puri railway station. The complaint also alleges that during the assault, Kumar asked Pradhan to lick his shoes.

The Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra did not respond to calls seeking a comment.

“My husband was deployed for the President’s duty, not to serve the Governor’s son,” Sayoj told reporters, adding that he was admitted to the Puri district headquarters hospital on Thursday.

She claimed that Pradhan also met the Governor and senior officers on July 10 to discuss the issue, but was told to change his behaviour. She said that Pradhan served in the Indian Air Force for around 20 years before taking up the ASO job in 2019.