‘Break Their Legs’: Odisha ACP's Instruction Stirs Row, Raises Questions About Police Conduct

Bhubaneswar: A senior police officer in Odisha has found himself in the midst of controversy after a video surfaced showing him instructing police personnel to "break the legs" of protesters who breach a barricade outside the Chief Minister's house. The incident occurred during a protest by the Congress party workers against crowd mismanagement and negligence following a stampede in Puri that resulted in the deaths of three people and injured 50 others. 

The protest was held outside the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar, where a large police force was deployed to maintain order. In the video that went viral on social media, Bhubaneswar Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Narasingha Bhol can be seen giving instructions to police personnel standing behind a barbed wire barricade. With his index finger pointing towards the circular barbed wire, ACP Bhol said, "If anybody reaches here, break their leg. Don't catch them, just break their legs. We are standing there to catch them. Whoever breaks a leg, come to me and take a reward."

The police personnel responded to the instruction with a “Yes, sir”, indicating that they understood the orders. However, the video stirred massive outrage and controversy, with many questioning the police officer's actions.

Context And Clarification

After the video went viral, ACP Bhol claimed that his comment was taken out of context. He explained that the instruction was given in a specific context, where protesters who breached the barricades and reached a certain point would be considered part of an unlawful assembly. "Before reaching the spot where I was standing, there were two barricades. The order was to detain unruly protesters at the first barricade itself. However, if somebody breached the two barricades and went beyond them, then that person has already broken the law," ACP Bhol said.

The police officer added that they are free to apply maximum force to stop an unlawful assembly. "We are standing there to arrest them. Whoever breaks the law will face the consequences," he said.

The Odisha government has launched an administrative investigation into the Puri stampede. State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that Development Commissioner Anu Garg will submit a report to the Chief Minister within 30 days. "The state government will take stern action against those responsible for the tragic incident," the law minister said.

The stampede occurred during a ceremony linked to the ongoing Rath Yatra festival in Puri. The incident resulted in the deaths of three people and injured 50 others. According to Puri's Chief District Medical Officer, Kishore Satapathy, all injured people were discharged from a government health facility by 8 pm on Sunday.