Bhubaneswar: Father-Son Duo Attempt Self-Immolation Outside Odisha SP Office, Allege Police Bias In Land Dispute

The duo, identified as Padmanabha Rout and his son Saroj Rout, a law student, are residents of Ranipal village under the Bhapur police station limits.

According to family members, the dispute over ancestral property had been ongoing for some time, with complaints lodged by both parties at the Bhapur police station. However, the Rout family alleged that the investigating officer acted in a partisan manner and registered a criminal case against Saroj Rout and his family members while ignoring their grievances.

Claiming that repeated appeals for a fair hearing had yielded no results, the father and son reached the District Police Office (DPO) campus in Dhenkanal on Friday and allegedly poured petrol on themselves in an attempt to end their lives.

Police personnel and staff present at the spot intervened swiftly and prevented the two from setting themselves ablaze, averting a major tragedy.

Both were subsequently taken to the Dhenkanal District Headquarters Hospital for medical examination and treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable.

The incident triggered concern over the handling of local disputes and allegations of police high-handedness in the district.

Responding to the incident, Dhenkanal Superintendent of Police Abhinav Sonkar said the police acted promptly to save the lives of the two individuals and assured that their grievances would be examined.

“Outside the Dhenkanal DPO campus, a young man and his father poured petrol on themselves after bringing it in a bottle. Due to the prompt action of police personnel, we intervened immediately and prevented any untoward incident. We will listen to their grievances and take appropriate steps to address them,” Sonkar said.

The SP further assured that a thorough inquiry would be conducted into the allegations levelled by the family against the police.