Taking note of two back-to-back custodial deaths within a span of five days in the district, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Wednesday issued notices to in-charge SP of Cuttack Rural police asking him to inquire into the incidents and submit reports within four weeks.
Acting Chairman of OHRC Justice BK Mishra took cognisance of separate petitions filed by human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das with regard to police excesses leading to custodial deaths reported from Kissannagar and Narasinghpur areas of the district on December 7 and December 12, respectively.
Annexing newspaper reports, Das in his petitions has alleged that the Kissannagar police took into custody one Gunanidhi Nayak (68) on the intervening night of December 6 and 7 and Narasinghpur police arrested one Saroj Senapati (45) on the intervening night of December 9 and10 over certain allegations against them. While Nayak died on December 7, Senapati died on December 12 allegedly due to police torture in custody, the petitions said u
rging the OHRC to award compensation of `10 lakh each to the families of both the victims of custodial deaths. Das in his petitions has further said that both the victims were sole earning members of their respective families.