Two Odisha policemen arrested for murder

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sonepur/Bargarh, Oct 28:

Ulunda police today arrested two police officers of Bheden police station in Odisha’s Bargarh district on charges of murder.

The arrested police officers are sub-inspector (SI) Soumyaranjan Patra and assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Pitamber Behera of Bheden police station.

Both the police officers were remanded to judicial custody after the local court at Birmaharajpur refused to grant them bail.

The police officers have been arrested in connection with the recovery of the skeleton of one Maknu Bag from the Metkani forested area in Sonepur district. Three homeguards, Officer In-Charge (OIC) of Bheden police station Sushil Nayak and a constable allegedly involved in the case are absconding.

Sources said OIC of Bheden police station had on July 17 this year had picked up one Maknu Bag of Dekulba  village under Bheden police limits to the police station for interrogation in some case.

Maknu 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 had thrown his body 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 Bag.

“After the skeleton was found in the Ulunda police station limits, family members of Maknu bag had complained that Maknu was murdered and police was involved in it. A case was registered at Ulunda police station in this connection. In the meanwhile, results of the DNA test have arrived. It has been found that the skeleton was of Maknu Bag.

During the course of investigations in the case on the basis of evidence it was found that Bheden police was involved in it. Sonepur police today detained two police officers of Bheden in connection with the case and is interrogating. Bargarh SP has been ordered to produce whosoever will be required for investigation of the case,” Pratik Mohanty DIG (Northern Range) said.

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