CUTTACK: A 12-year-old boy was allegedly detained for three days in the police outpost on the premises of SCB Medical College & Hospital and tortured by the police even after he had confessed to his crime. The district child welfare committee(CWC) chairperson Mandakini Jema said police had detained the minor boy hailing from Jharkhand in connection with a mobile phone theft case since Friday. He had allegedly stolen three mobile phones including one from a PG student and handed it over to another miscreant.
On being informed about the illegal detention of the boy for three days, Childline member R Donald Behera was sent to verify the allegation. He reached the police outpost on Sunday evening and found the child being held in front of the lock-up. “I personally spoke with IIC, Mangalabag police station who, however, stated that the boy was detained for 24 hours as case was not registered against him. Following our intervention, police lodged a case and rehabilitated him at Basundhara on Sunday night. Police should have produced the boy before the Juvenile Justice Board within 24 hours of the detention. There is no rule for police to detain a minor inside the police station in the night,” said Jema.
Childline officials on Monday met the boy in the presence of district child protection officer Pragati Mohanty at Basundhara and took his statement. He has alleged that he was detained and tortured inside the police outpost for three days. The police had even put him inside the lock-up. The Childline officials have submitted a report alleging police torture during the three days’ of detention which is a violation of the norms. Based on the report, a letter has been issued to the DCP, Cuttack to enquire and take necessary action against the concerned police person for unlawful detention of the minor boy.
Refuting the allegation, DCP Prateek Singh said the juvenile offender who confessed to his crime has been produced before Juvenile Justice Board. An ADCP-rank official will conduct an investigation and necessary action will be initiated against the police person if found guilty, he said.