BMC Official Brutally Assaulted in Office; Political Storm Erupts Across Odisha

A senior Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, was brutally assaulted during a public grievance hearing on Monday. Viral video shows him being dragged, kicked, and beaten by a group of men, allegedly over a remark about BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan. Sahoo claimed the attackers tried to force him into a vehicle. Three men have been arrested, and an FIR has been filed. The incident drew widespread condemnation from political leaders, including Naveen Patnaik and Aparajita Sarangi. BMC Mayor Sulochana Das called for strict action and expressed concern over workplace safety.