Adjudicating a petition seeking court-monitored investigations into the Puri custodial death case, the Orissa High Court on Tuesday expressed its displeasure over the investigations made so far.
“The court also wanted to know from the Advocate General whether any policemen are booked under murder charges or not in this case,” informed the petitioner’s advocate Deepak Kumar Mohapatra.
The court also asked the AG to submit all case records, including the postmortem report and judicial report, if any, and the action-taken report so far by the next date of hearing on January 11 next,” Mohapatra said, adding that the court too directed the AG to make sure that the investigations are being made scrupulously following the NHRC guidelines. A habitual offender, K Ramesh, was allegedly murdered in custody by the Baselisahi police of Puri town last month, following which the then district Superintendent of Police Akhilesvar Singh was shunted from his post.
A local advocate, Sarat Kumar Rayguru, has approached the court seeking adequate compensation to the family of the deceased and stringent punishment to the erring policemen.
While the court is adjudicating the writ petition, a judicial enquiry under a local judicial magistrate is also going on.
Besides, the NHRC and the OHRC too have taken cognisance of separate applications made in connection with the custodial death.
Also, the Puri district Human Rights Protection Cell headed by a DSP-rank officer is investigating the case.