Malkangiri: Personnel of Motu police station in this district are in a soup over allegations of custodial torture on two youths.
It has been alleged that two youths picked up for theft were brutally assaulted by the police for three days when they were in custody, a report said Sunday.
The victims identified as Biswajit Biswas and Biplab Haldar sustained critical injuries due to the assault are currently undergoing treatment at the MV-79 hospital.
The incident sparked shockwaves in the area and has again brought the spotlight on custodial torture despite the apex court denouncing it as violation human rights.
When contacted, Motu IIC Ashok Kumar Bisoi rejected the charges. He said he has just joined here two days back and so he will not be able to say anything about it.
Locals, however, demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident. They alleged that the two youths were so badly beaten up in custody that they are unable to walk properly.
Sources said that a kangaroo court was held September 29 at Maharajpali panchayat in MPV81 village under Motu police limits to punish the two youths for committing theft.
The youths had then fled to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. However, the villagers persuaded them to come back. Once the youths returned, they were handed over to the police.
Motu police, however, without conducting any probe into alleged theft, locked them up and brutally tortured them for three days, it was alleged.
PNN