Cuttack
Following the notice for a personal appearance, Rajiv Hial, the official attendant of Padma Shri and tribal activist Kamala Pujari, appeared before the Jeypore sub-collector on Tuesday.
The social worker, Mamata Behera, in the midst of the controversy for forcing Pujari to dance with her, also kept her stand but in writing without appearing before the sub-collector. Her stance could not be known.
But a section of local media quoted Rajiv as saying, “When asked about the video, I said I am completely ignorant about it. Even I was not present during the video shoot. I also gave it in writing. As the social worker has dragged me into the controversy unnecessarily, I am hurt and has urged the sub-collector to take action against the real accused.”
Earlier, the Koraput district administration had issued notices to Behera and the official attendant Hial to personally appear before Sub-Collector Jeypore on Tuesday to register their response in connection with the row that erupted over Kamala Pujari being “forced to dance” inside the ICU of the Government hospital
The notices were issued a day after the SCB Medical College Hospital submitted its report on Pujari being allegedly “forced to dance” by Behera during her discharge from the health facility.
The committee formed by the Government hospital to probe the incident observed in its report that Pujari was kept in a special cabin in the hospital’s ICU. The woman who allegedly forced her to dance introduced herself as Pujari’s friend to the hospital staff in the presence of the Padma Shri awardee and her attendants, the report.
The panel, headed by medicine department HOD Prof Jayant Panda panel, said it is for this reason she was allowed to stay in the special cabin.
The panel said the hospital administration was unaware of the incident and it is “not possible for us to keep a watch inside the cabin except for a patient’s medical needs”. The incident came to the fore after a video of Pujari being “forced to dance” allegedly by Behera went viral on August 29.
Many tribal organizations including the Paraja samaj, to which Pujari belongs, and the Bhumia samaj demanded the Government to take action against Behera.
“I was not feeling well and was forced to dance. I repeatedly denied, but she did not listen. I was sick and tired after the dance,” Pujari had told media persons. She was admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on August 24 for kidney-related ailments.
“Notices have been issued and their statement will be recorded. Necessary action will be taken once we get their response to the allegations,” said Debabar Pradhan, sub-collector, Jeypore.
