Puri: Tension ran high in this holy town after the District Bar Association, members of the BJP unit and some locals staged a demonstration at the police station here over an alleged custodial death Thursday.
K Ramesh was arrested Wednesday. He was admitted Wednesday to the Puri district headquarters hospital (DHH) after he complained of uneasiness and passed away the same night. Ramesh’s family members alleged Thursday that police had tortured him which led to his untimely demise. The police have come in for severe criticism.
Puri SP Akhileshwar Singh told reporters that a case of custodial death case has been registered. A team of doctors will conduct the post-mortem and it will be videographed and photographed. He also said the case will be investigated as per the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines.
According to the SP, there were several cases pending against Ramesh. He had recently been released from Talcher prison on bail. The police Wednesday were tipped off that Ramesh was planning to commit a crime at a particular locality in this city.
When police reached the spot, Ramesh tried to flee but was arrested after a scuffle. Police also found he was armed.
Also read: Irate villagers gherao police station over alleged custodial death in Sundargarh
After being brought to the police station, Ramesh complained of chest pain Wednesday night. He was rushed to the Puri DHH, but doctors there declared dead on arrival.
Since there were deep black-and-blue marks on his hand and other body parts, the police had no choice but to register a custody death.
“This is a very sensitive case. The panchnama of the body was conducted in presence of the deceased’s father,” informed Singh. He added that the case will be investigated by an additional SP and a DSP.
PNN