Sambalpur: A few days after DGP YB Khurania ordered a CID probe into the mysterious death of a ‘ganja smuggler’ allegedly after being thrashed by two policemen and three home guards in Kandhamal district, cops in the district fired at a man – who had allegedly hacked three fingers of a constable October 4 during a fight – leaving him seriously injured, Thursday.
Legal experts meanwhile, said the back-to-back incidents of brutal police action, which are a crude reminder of last month’s alleged assault of an Army officer and his female friend at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar, have raised serious questions over the highhandedness of civilian police force.
According to sources, Burla police officials had visited Jhairpali village October 4 to investigate a complaint filed by a woman against her husband, identified as Kamlu Pradhan. On spotting the cops, Pradhan attacked one of them – constable Saroj Bhoi – with a cleaver, causing grievous injury to his right palm.
Pradhan fled the spot and remained elusive since then.
Bhoi was taken to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Vimsar) in Burla and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for treatment, as police launched a hunt for Pradhan.
Thursday, cops received a tipoff that Pradhan was hiding in Katapali forest, and accordingly, a police team went to nab him.
An officer in the search team said Pradhan attacked the cops, injuring a sub-inspector.
Police retaliated in self-defence and opened ‘controlled fire’ at Pradhan who sustained a bullet wound on his right leg. He was admitted to Burla hospital for treatment and his condition is stated to be stable.
Sources said Pradhan, a driver by profession, was involved in many violent scuffles in his village over petty issues.
Meanwhile, legal experts said police should use their weapons more responsibly, only as a last resort, to contain and control criminals. “According to the Constitution, no person can be deprived of his or her life without the due process of law. I personally don’t believe in ‘encounters’ and it must be last step by the police,” said advocate Soura Chandra Mohapatra.
Senior advocate Byomkesh Tripathy said the recent Bharatpur police brutality instance had shown the cops in poor light. “That case definitely impacted the police’s morale,” he said, adding that an inquiry should be conducted to find out if the Kandhamal and Sambalpur incidents were a retaliation for the Bharatpur shame.
PNN & Agencies