Tension prevailed after a youth died while undergoing treatment following an alleged self-immolation bid in custody at the Madhyakhanda police outpost in the district on Friday night.
Reports said the deceased Kalia Kathua of Similisahi in Daspalla had been arrested by police on April 13 in connection with some cases pending against him.
On April 17, Kalia was rescued in a critical condition with severe burn injuries and rushed to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack. However, he succumbed to the burn injuries on Friday.
Though police claim that Kalia attempted suicide by setting himself on fire by pouring kerosene, his wife Bini Kathua alleged that her husband was killed by police officials in custody.
“On April 13, eight police personnel came at around 7 pm and took him from his house. The cops took him to a mango orchard and tortured Kalia there. They asked him about his involvement in a murder case but he refused,” said Kalia’s brother Rabindra Kathua.
“The officials then took him to the Madhyakhanda police outpost. The cops didn’t give him food for two days and later set him on fire,” alleged Rabindra.
But Daspalla SDPO Jayaram Satpathy said, “The allegations are false. Kalia was the mastermind in the loot during disbursement of allowances at the panchayat office and murder of a woman and her daughter. While we nabbed Kalia, others involved in the crime managed to escape.”
The issue was also raised in the State Assembly with BJP members demanding a statement from the Chief Minister on the matter.
“Kalia Kathua was put on fire in the custody. He struggled for life at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack from April 14 till last night when he succumbed to burn injuries. The Chief Minister should make a statement as to who would compensate and manage the deceased’s family and what action taken against culprits,” demanded BJP member Rabi Narayan Nayak.