Majhi tragedy: Cop suspended for ‘breaking’ woman’s body, carrying it on bamboo pole

A Government Railway Police's (GRP) Assistant Sub-Inspector was on Saturday suspended for ‘not performing his duty properly’ leading to undignified treatment of an old woman's body in Odisha's Balasore district.

"We have suspended ASI P R Mishra for not performing his duty properly while transporting the body of an old woman. The ASI was suspended after preliminary inquiry into the incident," Superintendent of Police, GRP Odisha Sanjay Kausal said. He said the GRP had hired two sweepers from Soro in Balasore district for transporting the old woman's body. As rigor mortis had set in, they allegedly broke her body and wrapped it in a cloth and tied it to a bamboo pole to carry the body.

"The ASI was on duty and present at the spot, but did not oppose the sweepers' act," Kausal said.

Salamani Behera, an 80-year-old widow was run over by a goods train near Soro railway station in Balasore district on Wednesday. Her body was taken to the community health centre.

A male nurse was sacked and a security agency at Kalahandi district headquarters hospital disengaged from service on Saturday for “negligence” in providing a hearse to a tribal man who had to walk 10 km carrying his wife’s body on his shoulder on Wednesday. “The chief district medical officer (CDMO) has disengaged a male staff nurse and the security agency which were on duty on Wednesday. They were found guilty in preliminary enquiry into incident,” Kalahandi District Collector Brundha D said.