BHUBANESWAR: THE Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Wednesday sought reports from the Cuttack SP in two cases of alleged custodial deaths. The cases pertain to deaths reported from Narasinghpur and Kissan Nagar police stations of the district. The SP has been directed to submit the reports within four weeks.
Prabir Kumar Das, advocate and rights activist, had filed the petitions in both the cases. In the first case, death of Saroj Senapati, a resident of Malisahi within Narasinghpur police limits, had led to tension in the area. Senapati had allegedly succumbed to the injuries inflicted on him by police during a raid. According to the petitioner, Senapati was asked to appear at Narasinghpur police station in connection with an FIR but he did not pay any heed.
Subsequently, a police team raided his house at about 1 am on December 9 and allegedly assaulted him mercilessly before taking him to the police station. He was taken ill and rushed to Narasinghpur CHC before being shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed. In the second case, a 68-yearold man, Gunanidhi Nayak of Gosainpatna within Kissan Nagar police limits, had died allegedly due to custodial torture.
Nayak was picked up from his house by the police on December 6-7 night. Police said he was accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls. Nayak was admitted to Raghunathpur CHC the next day where he later died. The doctor said the victim was received dead in the hospital. The petitioner said the deceased was a salesman at a retail store of Gourisankar Weavers’ Cooperative Society and sole bread earner of the entire family. Das has prayed for monetary compensation to be awarded to the kin of the deceased in both the cases.