WATCH: Senior Odisha Bureaucrat Assaulted, Dragged Outside Office in Shocking Video

Tensions ran high at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office on Monday after a senior officer was physically assaulted inside the premises during a public grievance hearing.

The victim, Ratnakar Sahoo, who serves as Additional Commissioner of the BMC, was assaulted inside his office during a grievance redressal session. A group of men stormed into his chamber, allegedly over a verbal dispute involving BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, and physically dragged him out. Graphic visuals, now widely circulated, show Sahoo being kicked, punched, and dragged down a staircase before the attackers attempted to force him into a vehicle.

Narrating the horrifying ordeal, Sahoo said, “I was holding a grievance hearing around 11:30 am when five to six individuals, including corporator Jeevan Raut, suddenly entered my office. He asked me if I had misbehaved with Jag bhai. When I denied it, the others began to abuse and assault me. They pulled me out of the office, beat me up, and tried to shove me into their car.”

The footage of the assault has triggered condemnation across party lines. So far, three individuals—Jeevan Raut, Rashmi Mahapatra, and Debashish Pradhan—have been arrested after an FIR was lodged. However, protests erupted shortly after the incident, with BJD corporators and BMC employees blocking Janpath Road in Bhubaneswar, demanding the immediate arrest of all those involved.

In response to the incident, the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association announced a statewide protest, declaring a mass leave beginning July 1. The association described the attack as an affront to the entire civil service and warned that the safety of public servants cannot be compromised.

Former Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, reacting strongly to the incident, said the visuals of the attack were disturbing and unacceptable. “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,” he posted on X.

He further asked, “If a senior officer can be attacked in broad daylight in his own office, how can ordinary citizens feel safe?”

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… pic.twitter.com/yf7M3dLt9C

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 30, 2025

BMC Mayor Sulochana Das echoed the outrage, demanding that the attack be treated as an attempted murder. “Nobody is safe. This was not just an assault—it was an attempt to kidnap and possibly kill a government officer. We’ve filed a case, but only three people have been arrested so far. Everyone involved must be brought to justice.”

The Congress party also slammed the BJP, calling the assault a direct attack on governance and democratic institutions. Congress MLA from Barabati-Cuttack said, “Odisha deserves law and order, not jungle raj. If this can happen to a senior officer in the heart of the capital, how secure are common people? This is not just an assault on one man—it’s an assault on the administrative system.”

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