Gopalpur, Odisha — A traffic police officer in Odisha faces allegations of assaulting Wegen Sherpa, a divyang (differently-abled) youth, during a routine inspection in Gopalpur, leaving him with severe injuries.
The incident has sparked outrage, with Sherpa’s friends claiming he was attacked without provocation, rendering him unconscious and in need of emergency medical care.
Sherpa had been enjoying a holiday with friends at Gopalpur beach when they were stopped by traffic police for a routine check. After the group passed helmet and drunk driving checks, they began their journey home, when, according to witnesses, a traffic officer allegedly struck Sherpa on the head with a lathi (baton). Eyewitnesses reported that Sherpa immediately vomited blood and remained unresponsive for hours following the assault, raising serious concerns about his condition.
Sherpa was initially taken to Berhampur MKCG Medical College and later transferred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for further treatment. While initial reports indicated he had suffered critical injuries, the Superintendent of Police (SP) for Ganjam district, Shravan Vivek, stated that a CT scan revealed no severe damage. According to Vivek, medical assessments indicated normal results, but he also noted that Sherpa was found to be intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Police have launched an investigation, interviewing witnesses to clarify the sequence of events. While there are conflicting reports regarding the severity of Sherpa’s injuries, his friends remain adamant that he was struck without justification. “We were just having fun, and suddenly he was hit on the head. We thought he was going to die,” one friend recounted, calling for accountability for the officer’s actions.
The incident has drawn public attention to police conduct and the treatment of differently-abled individuals, with demands for a thorough investigation and appropriate action.