Odisha rights panel summons IIC for detention, torture of minor

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 3:

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) today summoned the IIC of Koraput’s Laxmipur police station for a personal appearance on June 1 and present his side on the issue of illegal detention and torture of a minor.

According to a complaint lodged with the OHRC by lawyer and human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo on March 18, Laxmipur police detained a 13-year-old boy, a student of class-VI, at the police station for seven days and tortured him physically.

Kanungo had asked for compensation for the child and action against the guilty police officers. Based on the complaint, OHRC had asked the SP of Koraput to submit a report.

Complying with the OHRC instruction, the SP of Koraput had asked the SDPO to investigate the charge and submit a report. The SDPO’s report revealed that the boy was brought to the police station on March 11 by Laxmipur cops and severely beaten up in custody resulting in injuries and fractures in his bone.

The boy was treated at Laxmipur on Mar 16 and 17 before being referred to District Headquarters hospital where he was plastered for the fracture. The plaster came off on April 14.

The accused IIC of Laxmipur, however, had a different version to the incident.

“We had only called him. Afraid of the police, the boy climbed a mango tree and accidentally fell from tree causing the fracture,” said IIC Kailash Chandra Sethi while vehemently denying the custodial torture and illegal detention charges.

The SP of Koraput, however, assured the OHRC that he has written to competent authorities to initiate a departmental inquiry against IIC Sethi for misconduct and dereliction in duty. The OHRC has also asked the IIC to appear personally before it to present his version of the facts.