Odisha cop sent to jail over custodial death of ‘mobile phone thief’

Kendrapara: A police official was sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected by a local court in Odisha’s Kendrapara district over custodial death of a 25-year-old youth.

The then IIC of Mahakalpada PS Shyamaghana Behera today surrendered before SDJM court here and moved his bail petition. However, his plea was rejected owing which he was sent to jail. 

Behera had knocked on the doors of Orissa High Court seeking relief. The Court had directed him to move his bail plea in the lower court.

A youth Abinash Paital was arrested in a mobile phone theft case in August last year. However, he was found dead in the police custody under mysterious circumstances a day after his arrest. Behera was suspended by the DGP for dereliction of duty and Crime Branch probe was ordered.

The youth from Balana village in the district was found hanging from the stairways of a house few meters from the police station.

The family members had then alleged that Paital had died due to police excess and made up a story to cover up the incident.