Bhubaneswar: A man who was picked up by Badagada police in connection with a bicycle theft case died late Sunday night. However, family of the accused man alleged it to be a custodial death.
The deceased was identified as Debendra Choudhury. He had been residing in a rented house at Kapilaprasad locality along with his wife, three daughters and a son. He was a vegetable vendor.
According to a source, Debendra was on his way back home from his in-laws’ house at Rasulgarh locality on the intervening night when Badagada police picked him up and took him to the station for interrogation over charge of stealing a bicycle.
“A police team tried to nab Debendra at Brahmeswarpatna at around 8.00pm Sunday. He had sustained injuries in bid to escape. He was a history-sheeter, a senior police official in Badagada station said.
Also read: 3 dead, 1 injured as truck overturns in Mayurbhanj
“Debendra complained of illness Sunday night and he was admitted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar for treatment. However, he breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the government-run hospital,” the senior police official further said.
Meanwhile, Debendra’s wife has alleged that the man was severely beaten to death by the police. “My husband was fit and fine and had no health issues whatsoever. He was picked up by Badagada police and thrashed at the station leading to his untimely death. He had no involvement in any bicycle theft case,” the deceased’s wife stated demanding a probe into the alleged custodial death.
“Police came to our house late Sunday night at around 1.30am and asked me to reach the police station soon. After I reached there, they informed me about my husband’s death,” the woman added.
“If the police nabbed my husband at 7.30pm, why did they inform me at 1.30am? It proves that they killed him in the custody,” she said.
Besides, the woman has lodged an FIR alleging that her husband was tortured by the police in the custody which led to his death.
PNN