Bhubaneswar: Amid widespread public outcry over the alleged custodial death of a 32-year-old man in Puri, the state government Friday shifted the district SP Akhileshvar Singh. IPS officer Kanwar Vishal Singh has been appointed as the new Puri SP.
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Akhileshvar has been attached to SP headquarters.
Meanwhile, sub-inspector (SI) Biplab Kumar Pradhan, and constables Jagannath Swain and Babuli Behera of Baselisahi police station in Puri were placed under suspension for ‘gross misconduct and negligence in duty’. On the other hand, inspector in-charge (IIC) of Biramitrapur police station in Sundargarh district – Smruti Prava Pradhan – was also placed under suspension for ‘gross misconduct and dereliction in duty’, the Odisha Police tweeted.
The situation in Puri remained tense Friday even though an investigation was launched into the alleged death of a person in police custody Wednesday.
Members of several political parties and social outfits continued their protests over the incident and sought stern action against the police officials concerned.
The Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) of the Odisha police launched a probe into the alleged death of K Ramesh, 32, in the custody of Baselisahi police. Earlier, Inspector General (in charge) Praveen Kumar visited the city and took stock of the situation.
The IG held discussions with Puri district Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhileshvar Singh and other senior officials and asked them to investigate the case as per the guidelines laid by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Accordingly, a DSP-rank official of the HRPC along with an NHRC volunteer visited the victim’s house and enquired about the incident.
On the other hand, National Human Rights Forum Puri unit convener Prantasini Jena along with two members of the outfit visited the victim’s house and collected detail information on the alleged custodial death.
The police, meanwhile, rejected the allegation that they have detained the parents of deceased K Ramesh in an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile, Orissa High Court has sought a report from the state government with regard to the alleged custodial death in Puri while accepting a petition from lawyer Sarat Kumar Rayguru.
Notably, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Friday sought an action taken report (ATR) from the chief secretary and DGP of Odisha in a case related to custodial death of a person in Puri. The NHRC has expressed anguish over the recurrence of such deaths despite several directions and guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and the Commission.
The NHRC asked the Chief Secretary and the DGP to ensure submission of detailed report, covering all the aspects.
PNN