A woman home guard in Odisha attempted suicide by jumping in front of a train after being allegedly tortured by a senior IPS officer’s wife, at whose residence she was working. The victim, Souridri Sahu, lost both her legs in the incident and is undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Cuttack. She has accused the officer’s wife of verbally abusing and beating her up for not doing her job properly.

The officer, North Central Range DIG Brijesh Kumar Rai denied the allegations and claimed that the woman was disturbed due to some family issues. The officer was transferred to state police headquarters at Cuttack after the matter came to light. Director General of Home Guard, Sudhansu Sarangi, said that the allegations will be verified and necessary action will be taken.

According to the complaint, the incident took place on August 4, when Souridri was allegedly dragged out of the house and abused by Rai’s wife for not washing some clothes. Unable to bear the humiliation, she decided to end her life by standing near the railway tracks. However, she fell down due to vibration and was run over by the train.

The victim has not filed any police complaint yet, but she has written to Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and several others. The home guard is a widow and lives with her two daughters. One of her daughters, Suchismita, dismissed Rai's claims of family issues being the reason behind her mother's suicide attempt and said that she was upset due to the torture by Rai’s wife. 

“My mother was upset due to the torture being inflicted upon her by the officer's wife. Unable to come to terms with the stress, she decided to end her life,” Suchismita said.

DG Home Guard Sudhansu Sarangi said that the government will bear the medical expenses of the victim. “We will speak to her once she is discharged from the hospital. Subsequently, necessary action will be taken,” he said.