Bhubaneswar, Aug 27 (PTI):  A Government Railway Police's (GRP) Assistant Sub-Inspector was today suspended for "not performing his duty properly" leading to undignified treatment of an old woman's body in Odisha's Balasore district.

"We have suspended ASI P R Mishra for not performing his duty properly while transporting the body of an old woman. The ASI was suspended after preliminary inquiry into the incident," Superintendent of Police, GRP Odisha Sanjay Kausal said.

He said the GRP had hired two sweepers from Soro in Balasore district for transporting the old woman's body. As rigor mortis had set in, they allegedly broke her body and wrapped it in a cloth and tied it to a bamboo pole to carry the body. "The ASI was on duty and present at the spot, but did not oppose the sweepers' act," Kausal said.

Salamani Behera, an 80-year-old widow was run over by a goods train near Soro railway station in Balasore district on Wednesday. Her body was taken to the community health centre. But the GRP personnel reached there after 12 hours.

As they could not arrange an ambulance to take the body to Balasore for post mortem, they broke it, stuffed it in a gunny bag and carried it tied to a bamboo pole, Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) said in its report.

OHRC has sought a report from Balasore District Collector and Railway IGP over the incident within four weeks. The National Human Rights Commission too issued a notice to Odisha government seeking a report on the incident within four weeks.