BARIPADA: A 28-year-old man was thrashed by cops for not wearing helmet and mask causing serious damage to one of his eyes, in Baripada town on Tuesday.
The victim, Sipu Das of Ward no 25, was on way home from Station Bazaar after purchasing medicines for diarrhoea when he came across a team of police enforcing Covid-19 and road safety norms at the check gate.
Since Sipu was neither wearing a mask nor helmet, he slowed down to park his two-wheeler on the spot when two policemen allegedly hit him on his right eye with a stick.
Sipu came home with a swollen eye and narrated his ordeal to his family. The incident came to light on Wednesday after Amit Kumar Baitha, a local took photographs of Sipu’s swollen right eye and posted on social media. The victim said, “I had gone to buy medicines for loose motion. As I had forgotten to carry money, I was returning home when two constables detained me near Station Bazaar Check Gate and without any provocation hit my face with a stick. Immediately, blood started oozing from my right eye and I was unable to see anything. Instead of taking me to the hospital, the policemen ordered me to leave the place.”
He further informed that Amit took him to PRM Medical College and Hospital where the doctor prescribed him medicine for inflammation. “The eye specialist told me that further treatment of my eye will be carried out after the inflammation reduces. I am still unable to see anything in my right eye and water keeps oozing out of it,” Sipu said.
Following the incident, Sipu reportedly met Baripada Town IIC Birendra Senapati and complained about the high-handedness of the two policemen. The IIC assured him to provide expenses for his treatment and advised him to go home and rest. Senapati said though the victim is yet to file a complaint in this regard, he has apprised the SP of the matter. Necessary action will be taken against the guilty after investigation.