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Custodial death: attempt to suppress identity alleged

Shell-shocked:R Dehuri, mother of Lalit Dehuri, who allegedly committed suicide in Chamakhandi police custody, waiting to receive the body at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur on Thursday.

BERHAMPUR: Alleged attempt was made on Thursday to create a fake identity of the person who died in custody at Chamkhandi police station in Ganjam district.

Identity of the youth who had died in police custody in Chamakhandi police station was ascertained as Lalit Dehuri by his mother and elder brother on Thursday. Till now police had been claiming that the deceased was one Raju Nayak of Rambha area who had been rounded up by personnel of Chamakhandi police station on Monday night. As per police he had committed suicide on Tuesday morning by hanging himself in the lock-up. Civil rights activists had claimed that the deceased was Lalit, a resident of Dasapalla area of Nayagarh district who was arrested by Ganjam police on Feb 9 from Patapur area along with two minor girls on the charge of Maoists connections.

In the presence of the Magistrate, deceased's mother R.Dehuri and her eldest son Upendra Dehuri identified the body kept at the morgue of MKCG medical college as that of Lalit. They had come from their village Kankanmendi under Banigochha police station in Nayagarh district. As per the mother Lalit had left home seven years ago. It may be noted that one of her son Biswanath had also been away from home for the past 12 years.

The question is if Lalit had been arrested on Feb 9, how could he be arrested again by personnel of Chamakhandi police station on Monday night. Lalit had never been produced in court and there had been no reports that he had been released by police. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) P.K.Jali who was present during the identification process conceded that they had found that there was no one named Raju Nayak of same description as the deceased in Rambha area.

Judicial probe sought

Civil rights' activists as well as brother of the deceased alleged that it was not a case of suicide and Lalit had died of police atrocities. Social activist Dandapani Mohanty, who was one of the three mediators between State government and Maoists for the release of abducted Malkangiri Collector and junior engineer demanded immediate judicial enquiry into the incident.

Similar demand for judicial enquiry had been made by the CPI activists on Wednesday. Former CPI MLA N.Narayan Reddy had alleged that Lalit had bean beaten to death by police.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has also been approached in this matter by the CPI members as well as human rights activists. Manoj Jena of ‘People's Watch' has written to the SHRC demanding investigation into illegal detention and custodial death of Lalit.

Mr Mohanty demanded that three others who were in police custody on charge of Maoist connections be produced in court. They are Subhankar Mallik arrested by Sundergarh police on Dec 10 last year, Satrughna Biswal arrested on Feb 2, Sangit Pradhan a resident of Ganjam district and arrested by Rayagada police. Mr Mohanty said during the talks with the government Orissa State Committee of the CPI (Maoist) had put forward names of these four persons arrested by police who had not been produced in court.

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