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Rights panel pulls up police

CUTTACK: The Orissa Human Rights Commission has pulled up the State police for unlawful entry into the house of one Bhaskar Behera of Athagarh in the dead hours of June 14, 2007 night causing death of the latter. Directing the State government to initiate departmental proceedings against the erring police officials, the commission has awarded a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to the parents of the deceased.

Asked by the Orissa High Court to inquire into the matter, the commission on Thursday made public its findings observing that the death of Bhaskar was not due to police assault as alleged. “There was no evidence of assault by the police on Bhaskar,” the commission said. Bhaskar died due to aspiration of stomach contents into his air pipe as he was shocked and frightened at the sight of the police at his doorstep late in the night, the commission observed basing on medical evidence.

The victim’s mother had petitioned the High Court alleging that her son was killed in police excess. She had also sought a CBI probe into the death of her son alleging that even as murder cases were registered against the erring policemen at the local police station, the culprits would manage to escape. The High Court, however, had asked the State HR panel to make an inquiry into the allegations made by Bhaskar’s mother. The commission held that the Athagarh police, led by ASI N.K. Das, went to Rajnagar village on that ill-fated night to investigate a complaint of a minor girl being assaulted by one Kabu Behera. Instead of pursuing that case, the police entered into the house of Bhaskar, who was sleeping at that time.

The commission also held that the police did not adduce any reasonable explanation as to why they entered into the house of Bhaskar. “There were woman members in the house but the police party did not consist of any female police officer. This violated section 47 of CrPC and for such unlawful entry of police which led to the death of Bhaskar, the State government is directed to pay the damage to the parents of the deceased,” the commission, headed by its chairman Justice R.K. Patra ordered.

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