Skeleton inside seized vehicle: NHRC directs Odisha DGP to take action in 8 weeks

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today directed Odisha DGP to take appropriate action in eight weeks (two months) in a case related to recovery of human skeleton from a seized vehicle on premises of Janla Police Outpost on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

The complaint be transmitted to the concerned authority for such action as deemed appropriate. The authority concerned is directed to take appropriate action within 8 weeks associating the complainant/victim and to inform him/her of the action taken in the matter, the NHRC said in an order.

The NHRC issued the order in a petition filed on March 21, 2021.

In the course of investigation, police revealed that skeleton was of a woman aged about 45 years. The skeleton was found on February 12, 2021, from an SUV seized by Berhampur police in connection with a ganja smuggling case in 2019. The vehicle was kept on the complex of Janla Police Outpost under Jatni police limits.

The skeleton recovery from the seized SUV on police outpost campus came to fore on March 13 raising questions on transparency of police.

During primary investigation, the Janla Police Outpost In-charge Satyabrata Grahacharya was placed under suspension for dereliction in duty.

More than 20 days after recovery of skeleton, the Commissionerate Police is yet to ascertain identity of the deceased woman.

Earlier, the Commissionerate Police had released two sketches of the unidentified woman. It sent to four States — West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — to crack the mystery.

Source said that the Commissionerate Police has approached ADGs of these States in connection with the case. The sketches have also been uploaded on website of the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB).