One more arrested in Maknu Bag ‘custodial death’ case

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sonepur, Oct 29:

Odisha police today arrested one more accused in the Maknu Bag murder case taking the total number of accused arrested in the case to three.

A Home guard personnel, who worked as a driver at Bheden police station in Bargarh district, Pramod Sahu was arrested by Ulunda police today in connection with the murder of Maknu Bag, who was allegedly killed while in custody of Bheden police.

Two police officers sub-inspector (SI) Soumyaranjan Patra and assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Pitamber Behera of Bheden police station were arrested by Ulunda police yesterday and charged with murder. Both were sent to judicial custody after a local court of Birmaharajpur rejected their bail pleas.

These officers were arrested in connection with the murder of Maknu whose skeleton was recovered from the Metkani forested area in Sonepur district.

Officer In-Charge (OIC) of Bheden police station Sushil Nayak and four others allegedly involved in the case are still at large.

Reportedly, Nayak on July 17 this year picked up Maknu of Dekulba village for interrogation in a case.

Maknu however, never returned home since then. Despite frantic search by his family members, Maknu remained untraceable.

However, almost after two months on September 24, a skeleton was found at Metakani forested area in Sonepur district. Following this Maknu’s son Biju Bag lodged a complaint with Ulunda police station alleging that his father had been murdered by Bheden police and his body had been dumped in the Metakani forest.

Based on the complaint Ulunda police had launched its investigations in the case and had got a DNA test of the skeleton done. The DNA test report proved that the skeleton belonged to Maknu.

During the course of investigations and evidence gathered, it was found that Bheden police was involved in the crime, said Pratik Mohanty DIG (Northern Range).

Bargarh SP Ashish Kumar Singh yesterday evening suspended four policemen of Bheden police station- Bheden OIC Sushil Nayak, arrested SI Soumyaranjan Patra and ASI Pitamber Behera and constable Gita Bhoi in connection with the case while writing to the district judge to conduct a judicial inquiry into the matter.