UTP dies in Odisha; police excess suspected

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bargarh, Mar 7:

Villagers of Odisha’s Bargarh district have suspected police excess on their fellow villager and an under-trial prisoner (UTP) who died at the VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla on Friday afternoon.

The deceased, Sahe Bhoi of Mahulapani village of Bargarh district was arrested by the police on March 4. He was later lodged at the district sub jail after the local court rejected his bail plea.

As Bhoi was afflicted by diarrhoea and vomiting, the jail authorities admitted him to the district headquarters hospital. But as there was no sign of improvement, he was later shifted to the VSS Medical College and Hospital where he died on Friday evening.

However, the villagers have alleged that the death of Bhoi was due to police excess.

“The jail authorities have stated that the deceased was suffering from food poisoning. On the other hand, body of the deceased bore several injury marks on his waist and wrist. We suspect that Bhoi was severely beaten up at the police lock-up before he was sent to jail”, said Dr Anant Kumar Panda, a villager.

“We had admitted the UTP at the district headquarters hospital on Wednesday as he was suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. The doctors at the hospital later conducted his ECG and heart check up. He was kept under observation for a night. But as there was no sign of improvement, he was referred to VSS Medical College and Hospital in the next morning and died of his illness at about 3 PM on Friday”, Dr Sanjay Burma, Jailor of Bargarh sub jail told the media.