Tapan Pradhan

Jajpur, Sept. 22: Police arrested a government-run high school teacher today for allegedly beating up and torturing his wife.

The accused, Tapan Kumar Pradhan, 35, a science teacher at Krushnanagar High School at Gamu under Bari block, was taken into custody by the Barachana police following a written complaint from his wife Itishree Pradhan. The couple have not been living together for about two years.

Itishree, 30, alleged that Tapan had been torturing her and their six-year-old child over the past two years. She said that on August 20, she been to Jajpur town to lodge a complaint with the district education officer against her husband. While she was returning to her parents’ house along with her brother, Tapan intercepted them at Chandikhle bazaar. He allegedly dragged her off her brother’s motorbike and beat her up in public view. She said that her brother was also assaulted.

The police said that according to the FIR, the couple had married seven years ago and had a six-year-old daughter. Five years after marriage, Tapan allegedly developed an illicit relationship with another woman in Kalinga Nagar. When Itishree protested, Tapan beat her up.

“The couple were not living together for the past two years. He was staying with the other woman in a different house and had left his wife and daughter. When Itishree protested, he beat her up and kicked her out of his house. Itishree has been staying with her parents for the past two years,” said Ranjit Kumar Sahu, inspector in charge of Barachana police station.

The FIR was filed with the local police on August 20, but the accused had been absconding since then.

Tapan was arrested on the charges of beating and torturing his wife, the police said.

“We have arrested Tapan on the complaint filed by his wife for a particular case. But, he was wanted in three more cases filed against him by his wife at Jenapur and Jajpur town police stations,” Sahu said.