Bhubaneswar: A peon working at the rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) office in Odisha’s Gajapati district has been arrested for allegedly serving urine instead of drinking water to a junior engineer. The accused, Siba Narayan Nayak, was taken into custody by R Udayagiri police on Friday after junior engineer (JE) Sachin Gouda filed an FIR detailing the incident. Gouda had recently joined the RWSS office on July 22, and the disturbing incident reportedly occurred the following night, on July 23. According to the complaint, Gouda requested drinking water after dinner, and the peon handed him a steel bottle containing a suspicious liquid. Upon consuming it, Gouda said he felt uneasy and suspected the liquid was not water. Two colleagues—identified as Ghana and Surya—also tasted the contents and confirmed his suspicion. A sample of the liquid was sent for laboratory testing and was found to contain 2.0 parts per million (PPM) of ammonia, indicating possible urine contamination. A second sample has been forwarded to a laboratory in Paralakhemundi for confirmation. Following the incident, Gouda fell ill and is currently undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. After receiving initial medical care, he formally approached the police, prompting Nayak’s arrest. Recounting the episode, Gouda said: “When I asked for water, Siba brought a bottle from the aqua guard facility. After drinking it, I felt uneasy. Two others also tasted it and suspected something was wrong.” The accused, however, denied any malicious intent. “I brought the water along with his food. I don’t know what happened in between. I have done nothing wrong. I’ve left everything to God,” he told reporters. The case has since been brought to the notice of the Odisha Water Resources Directorate and has reportedly been escalated to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for further examination. Meanwhile, the police have initiated a detailed investigation, verifying the lab reports and questioning other staff members who were present at the time.
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