CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday issued notice to the State Government and CBI in connection with the alleged custodial death of Makhunu Bag at Bheden police station in Bargarh district in July this year. Acting on a writ petition filed by the alleged victim’s son Biju Beg seeking a CBI probe along with compensation, the single judge bench of Justice BR Sarangi directed the Government and the investigating agency to file responses within four weeks. The petitioner from Dekulba village of Bargarh said his father Makhunu (54) had gone to the local Bheden police station on July 17, 2015 to meet OIC Sunil Kumar Nayak in connection with his elder son Raju Bag’s whereabouts. Raju had absconded following a rape case filed against him by a local girl. However, he did not return. After a long wait, his wife Sahebani Bag filed a petition with Bargarh SP on September 9 reporting his missing since his visit to the police station. The villagers also gheraoed the police station and were given assurances of tracing Bag soon.
And within days, they got information about a skeleton lying near a Panichhapar jungle under Ulunda police limits of Sonepur district. The family members went there on September 24 and identified it as Makhunu Bag from the rags of a shirt on the skeleton. On the basis of a complaint of Biju Bag, Ulunda police registered a case against Bheden police for murder of Makhunu Bag and disappearance of evidence under sections 302 and 201 of IPC. Subsequently, the skeleton was found to be Makhunu’s through a DNA test and several police personnel including the IIC were arrested. Bag had then approached the High Court seeking `20 lakh compensation and CBI investigation into his death.