Casteist remarks spark controversy

Odisha Channel Bureau Kendrapara, Nov 14: Derogatory and caste-bound comment by a senior government official has sparked off a controversy.Police have registered a case against the head of schools and mass education department here on the charge of making caste-related remark against a Dalit woman.Santanu Kumar Padhi, the Sub- Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Human Right Protection Cell, said the case was registered against District Education Officer Markat Keshari Ray following a complaint lodged by Tuni Mallik, a Dalit woman from Telengabasanta village under Pattamundai police jurisdiction.The complainant alleged that the DEO misbehaved her and hurled abusive language insinuating on her lower caste origin.The purported incident took place when the victim had been to DEO office in connection with a grievance petition.“A case under section-3 of Prevention of atrocity against scheduled caste and scheduled tribes act, 1989 has been registered against the accused DEO.The matter is being investigated”, concluded SDPO (human rights protection cell), Padhee.