A police inspector in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district was placed under suspension for making a pregnant woman walk three kilometres in scorching heat for not wearing a helmet.
Bikram Biruli was taking his eight-month pregnant wife for a health check-up on his bike when he was stopped by the police under Sarat Police limit on Sunday. While Mr. Biruli was wearing a helmet, his wife Gurubari Biruli was not. Police imposed a fine, but Mr. Biruli did not have the money. He said he told the police he would pay the amount online, but they did not agree.
There was a heated exchange between Mr. Biruli and Sarat police officer-in-charge Reena Baxala. Subsequently, the police team took the Mr. Biruli to the police station leaving his pregnant wife alone on the road.
“I requested the police officer to take me with my husband, she did not listen,” said Ms. Biruli, who then walked down to station as the daytime temperature kept rising. At the police station, they were allegedly made to wait for close to two hours.
Smit Parmar, Mayurbhanj Superintendent of Police, placed Ms. Baxala under suspension for misconduct and dereliction of duty.
“The woman was visibly pregnant. They formally submitted a complaint to the sub-divisional police officer. It was an insensitive act on the part of the police officer, herself a woman,” Mr. Parmar told The Hindu.
Last year, Odisha government had declared wearing of helmet mandatory for pillion riders too.
