Puri district Superintendent of Police Kanwar Vishal Singh on Monday informed the Orissa High Court that as per the court’s suggestion, the State Government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 5 lakh as an interim compensation to the family of K Ramesh, who was allegedly murdered by the Puri police in custody.
In a counter-affidavit, the SP also informed that the deceased’s parents are not in police custody or in any forced confinement and there are no allegations that they have been subjected to any misbehaviour or ill-treatment or threatening.
Denying the allegations made in the rejoinder affidavit of petitioner Sarat Kumar Rayguru, the SP further informed that all procedural steps for inquiry into Ramesh’s death are being scrupulously followed as per the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines.
“The NHRC has registered a case in this connection and has appointed Special Rapporteur (East Zone) Dr Vinod Aggarwal, a retired IAS officer, to visit the place of the incident for probe and submit a report within four weeks,” the SP’s affidavit said.
Apart from the NHRC inquiry, two other independent and impartial inquiries are currently going on over the issue, the SP said, adding that while a local judicial magistrate is conducting a judicial inquiry, the district Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) headed by a DSP is also probing the incident.
The High Court has reportedly fixed January 28 next for further hearing in the case.