'Harassed' DWO's body found hanging in office

Rayagada District Welfare Officer's (DWO) body was found hanging in his office and the state government today ordered a probe by the Crime Branch after allegations were raised that he was being harassed by the district collector.
The police said 59-year-old Dhaneswar Prusty's body was discovered from the computer room of the District Welfare office at Rayagada yesterday.
He had left home around 10.30 AM yesterday for office saying he had to complete some work though it was a holiday because of Mahashivratri.
"When he neither returned home nor took calls, his wife went to the office to check. She found him hanging in the head clerk's room," Inspector In-Charge of of Rayagada police station, Kapileswar Behera, said.

Rayagada SP K Siba Subramani said, "We have received a communication from the government about the Crime Branch investigation into the case."
The SP said a suicide note had been recovered from Prusty's house.

Prusty's wife Kamini Sahu filed an FIR accusing District Collector S B Padhi and project director of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) of harassing her husband who was also under severe work pressure.
Terming the death of Prusty as a "sad incident", Padhi said "Pressure is natural for anyone who holds such an important post. After all Rayagada is a big district. After the probe, things will be clear."

The Crime Branch investigation was ordered after opposition Congress stalled Assembly proceedings alleging that mental pressure exerted by the two officials on Prusty led to his suicide.
Congress members demanded a ruling from the Speaker and a statement from the Chief Minister on the issue.
Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, "Earlier, one lady teacher was killed as the present district collector of Rayagada did not address her problems. Now the DWO committed suicide out of frustration."
Prusty, a native of Nayagarh district joined as DWO in Rayagada on October 10, 2014.