JAGATSINGHPUR: A woman and her 15-year-old son have alleged they were tortured by Jagatsinghpur police during raids conducted in connection with a temple theft case involving her husband.
After gold ornaments were looted and idol of the deity allegedly damaged during a theft at Maa Charchika Temple last month, police suspected the involvement of one Sheikh Nawab who has been absconding since the incident.
Raids were conducted at his residence on December 11 and December 18 (Thursday), by a team led by additional SP Satyabrat Dash but Nawab could not be arrested. Police also claimed that the suspect is involved in illegal arms trading and was attempting to sell a revolver.
Nawab’s wife, Akalima Bibi, alleged that during the December 11 raid, police assaulted her with belts and plastic rods after she failed to reveal her husband’s whereabouts. She claimed she was threatened with multiple FIRs and later, during a second raid on Thursday, police asked her to call her son home from school on the pretext of her illness. She alleged that the minor was taken to the police station and tortured, and that she was again beaten when she protested.
She further alleged that police even threatened to demolish their house using a bulldozer. She submitted a memorandum to the Odisha State Human Rights Commission and the DGP on Friday. The minor boy stated he was tortured merely on suspicion against his father.
Refuting the allegations, the additional SP said police conducted raids to arrest the accused but the family members were misleading the investigation to help him evade arrest. He added that the Nawab is not only involved in the temple theft but is also suspected of selling a revolver.
Jagatsinghpur SDPO Ajinkya Mane said that during verification, police recovered a video from the minor’s mobile phone allegedly showing him holding a gun, along with a magazine and live ammunition, inside the house in the presence of his parents. Considering the seriousness of the matter and the minor’s age, the child was called for counselling along with elder family members, he said. During counselling, the minor allegedly disclosed that the arms and ammunition were procured by his father and brought to Jagatsinghpur for local sale as part of an illegal arms trade.
The SDPO said that in an attempt to obstruct the investigation into both the temple theft and arms trafficking cases, the woman filed a “false and fabricated” complaint to malign the image of Jagatsinghpur police.