The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Human rights panel to probe into police ‘excesses’

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Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008
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Human rights panel to probe into police ‘excesses’

Correspondent

Sequel to death of youth belonging to Athgarh block in June last

Panel asked to submit reports in three months
The youth’s mother files writ petition in High Court

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday asked the State Human Rights Commission to probe into an alleged police excesses on a 24-year-old youth of Athgarh block of the district following which he died in June last year. The human rights panel was asked to submit the report within three months.

The High Court order came while adjudicating a writ petition filed by the victim’s mother demanding a CBI probe into the death of his son. Bilasini Behera, mother of Bhaskar Behera, in her petition alleged that although, the local police have registered a murder case against four policemen, she was apprehending, “investigations by local police would not deliver justice to her family.”

The mother in her petition also urged the High Court to direct the State government to pay adequate compensation to the family saying her son, who was working as a driver, was earning around Rs. 10,000 per month. “Our family was entirely sustaining on the earning of my son,” she said. However, when the State government contested the petition saying that Bhaskar died because of some disease and police had no role in his death, the bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly and Justice B.N. Mohaptra ordered for HR panel probe into the case.

Bhaskar died on June 15, 2007 after the local police allegedly assaulted him. To add more shock to the victim’s family, in an unfortunate incident, the 85-year-old grandfather of the victim Chaitanya Behera, died three days after Bhaskar’s death due to mental shock.

Violent protest

The incident created a ruckus in the State and the locals had violently protested against the incident. The Opposition Congress had even called for Athagarh bandh.

According to reports, the Athgarh police had gone to Rajnagar village in connection with a minor dispute in the village. After investigating into the case, the police while returning, went to the house of one Purushottam Behera in connection with a fortnight-old case for investigation.

It was alleged that police during quizzing the family members, beat up Bhaskar, the nephew of Purushottam. When Bhaskar fell unconscious, police took him to the nearby hospital. Police, however, had claimed that they had not even touched Bhaskar during questioning the family members. “On humanitarian ground, the police took the unconscious Bhaskar to the hospital who was either suffering from some disease or was extremely shocked seeing police on their doorstep,” the police maintained.

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