CUTTACK: Hours after 38-year-old Rasananda Nayak allegedly died in police custody, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday night suspended ACP-cum in-charge IIC of Choudwar police station Biswa Ranjan Sahu, sub-inspector Niranjan Gauda and Odisha Auxiliary Police Force (OAPF) constable Kamal Lochan Majhi in this connection.
Nayak had been detained on Sunday night in connection with a bike theft case. He reportedly hanged himself on Monday inside the police station bathroom and died during treatment at the SCB medical college and hospital. His body was handed over to the family after postmortem on Tuesday.
After his death, Nayak’s wife Puja and a relative Jitun Barik had alleged before the media that he took the drastic step after being unable to bear the police assault. Jitun had alleged that three police personnel had assaulted Nayak with a pipe to force him to admit his involvement in another criminal case. “He hanged himself inside the police station washroom as he was unable to bear the torture,” he had said.
The doctors who conducted the postmortem, however, ruled out possibility of assault stating there were no other injury marks on the deceased’s body except for the strangulation mark on his neck.
“There is a black circle and swelling mark on the deceased’s neck but no other injury marks have been found on the body. It is a case of suicide but details can be ascertained after receiving the postmortem report which will take around two weeks,” they added.
Nayak was allegedly also involved in transporting ganja to Bangalore along with two of his associates on September 12. Though his aides were nabbed on September 16 by Choudwar police, he had fled.
Sources said during interrogation regarding the bike theft, Choudwar police also quizzed him about his involvement in smuggling ganja but Nayak reportedly denied and also refused to reveal names of his other associates. “Even his family members and relatives were aware of it. Police had threatened him of calling his wife for questioning if he did not confess to the crime,” they said.
Sources, however, admitted that Choudwar police did not adhere to the SOP with respect to detaining a person. There were gross lapses on their part when he went to the washroom to attend nature’s call.