A woman police officer in Kendrapara district, Odisha, faced suspension for allegedly assaulting a married woman and her son at a police station. The incident involved wiping sindoor from the victim’s forehead, which is considered deeply disrespectful in Hindu tradition.
The victim, Annapurna Mandal, visited the Talchhua Maritime Police Station with her son to file a domestic dispute complaint. Instead of registering the complaint, the officer, IIC Sandhyarani Jena, reportedly abused them, physically attacked the woman, and wiped sindoor from her forehead.
The son was also subjected to violence, being dragged into the station toilet, stripped, and beaten by the officer and a constable. They were threatened and coerced into signing blank papers before being released late in the evening in a battered state.
Annapurna sought medical help and filed a formal complaint with the authorities. Following a review of CCTV footage, the Director General of Police in Odisha suspended Inspector Sandhyarani Jena for ‘gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.’
