Parlakhemundi: Authorities in Odisha's Gajapati district have issued a notice to a peon, requesting clarification regarding his alleged involvement in an incident where a newly appointed junior engineer was reportedly served a bottle of water contaminated with urine. An officer confirmed the development on Friday.
The peon maintains that he filled the bottle from a water purifier and left it in the engineer's office, claiming ignorance of what transpired afterward.
This police action follows a complaint lodged by the junior engineer, who began his role at the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Department on July 18. He reported the incident to the R Udaygiri police station, stating that on July 23, he was given a bottle of water that he suspected was tainted with human urine.
In response, the police have issued a notice to the peon, seeking his explanation regarding the matter. Gajapati SP Jatindra Kumar Panda stated, "We cannot arrest the peon without sufficient evidence. We have collected the water sample alleged to be contaminated and sent it for laboratory testing, along with samples from both the peon and the engineer."
According to the engineer's complaint, after consuming some of the water, he noticed an unusual smell and taste, prompting him to suspect contamination. Two colleagues who were present also tasted the liquid, confirming his concerns.
The engineer subsequently sent the sample for testing at the RWSS laboratory, where initial results indicated 2.0 PPM (parts per million) of ammonia, suggesting possible urine contamination.
"The elevated ammonia levels indicate it was urine. I have filed an FIR and demand a thorough investigation. I feel deeply humiliated," the engineer expressed to reporters.
The peon, however, continues to deny the allegations, stating, "I retrieved the water from a purifier and left it in the engineer's room, unaware of what happened next."
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