Ghatgaon Police Station IIC Dillip Kumar Sahoo was shot dead by miscreants on the Deo river bridge in the Keonjhar-Mayurbhanj border area on Saturday evening. Police sources claimed that the incident occurred while he was chasing a dacoit gang after receiving information from an informer by phone. Immediately after being shot at, seriously injured Sahoo was rushed to nearby Karanjia hospital in Mayurbhanj district where he was declared dead.
After autopsy, his body was brought to the Keonjhar police reserve ground where guard of honour was offered to the deceased by the police department. Finally, his body was handed over to his family residing in Dhomal near Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district where his last rites were performed.
According to sources, Sahoo, who had recently joined as the Ghatgaon IIC only two weeks ago, received a phone call on Saturday evening regarding a dacoit gang on their way to Karanjia via Dhenkikote.
Instead of using police force, he started chasing the dacoits in a private Tata magic van (OR09N 3143) escorted by two businessmen Manoj Das and Satish Das. Keonjhar SP Kavita Jalan too was following the dacoit gang behind Sahoo. While they were crossing the Deo river bridge on the Saharpada — Karanjia road, the dacoits first threw a hand bomb at Sahoo followed by gun firing. Hit by bullets, Sahoo succumbed to his injuries on his way to the Karanjia hospital.
Senior police officers from Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj district reached the hospital hearing the news. The murder of Sahoo has raised several doubts regarding the safety precautions of police officers during such operations. After receiving information about the dacoits moving on Dhenkikote Karanjia road, the Dhenkikote police outpost, Patna police station, Saharpada police outpost or Karanjia police were not informed to join the operation although these police stations are just on the road side between Ghatgaon and Karanjia town. No police force was used as a back up security during the operation. Sahoo tried to carry out the risky operation singlehandedly for which the miscreants were encouraged to attack him openly.
In the Maoist affected districts, the police department has drawn guidelines on the safety precautions to be followed in any such operations, but lack of alertness and carelessness led to Sahoo’s killing.
Earlier, another police officer had been killed by the Maoists near the Brahmanipal outpost four years back while he was going on a evening walk and another officer was kidnapped from Daitari police station while on duty. In yet another incident, a SOG jawan was killed in Banspal block two years back during an anti- Maoist operation and there are many more incidents where police have narrowly escaped death.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared a compensation of Rs 8 lakh from his fund in addition to a job to one of Sahoo’s family members. The Odisha Police Academy also donated Rs 1 lakh to Sahoo’s family. The merchants’ association and Press Club of Ghatgaon observed a bandh in Ghatgaon town in protest against the killing of Sahoo. All shops and offices remained closed throughout the day and local autos stopped plying on the roads on Sunday.
The agitators demanded a probe into the death of the local police inspector and arrest of the culprits. In a memorandum to the State Government, the local businessmen and scribes have also demanded that the commitment to offer job to one of the family members be carried out soon and the compensation amount be raised to Rs 25 lakh in this case.