Odisha Custodial Death: Intervention of NHRC sought

Bhubaneswar, June 10: Rights activists have sought the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Custodial death in Ganjam’s Jagannathprasad police station on June 9.

Akhand, rights campaigner and Working group member of Bhubaneswar based rights body Civil Society Forum on Human Rights (CSFHR), has submitted a petition to NHRC seeking a high level probe in the death ofGourahari Swain (40) of Patadhar village.

The deceased was detained by Jagannathprasad police on 8 June in connection with a theft case. At around 7 am on the next day, He was brought by the police to the community health centre (CHC) at Jagannathprasad with multiple injuries and 30 minutes later, he succumbed.

Wife of Gourahari, Kuntilata has already alleged that personnel from the Jagannathprasad police station had taken her husband from their house on 8 June night and physically assaulted him. “It seems to be clear cut custodial death in Police Hazat. It’s a serious violation of Human rights”, alleged Akhand. He prayed for action against the erring officials of the police station and suitable compensation to the victim’s family.