It could be an image loss for the Mayurbhanj police as, two innocent persons languished in jail for four months on charge of killing a woman who actually was alive. The two had been in jail for killing the woman in 2012. Taking the issue seriously, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its latest order on April 25 sought a report from the Mayurbhaj SP within four weeks.
lilli Nayak, a married woman, had eloped with one Sajani Dhal after having affairs with him on May 11, 2012. Her husband Sukdev had lodged a missing report at the Morada police station on May 17, 2012. Five days after the complaint, police found a putrefied body of a woman in a well of a village. Based on the report of the local home guard, the Morada PS Officer-in-Charge presumed that the body was that of lilli Nayak, and soon registered a murder case against Sukdev and lilli’s brother Sudam.
Both were arrested and subjected to custodial torture. Under duress, the two had also told police that they killed lilli. However, the family members of Sukdev kept pleading that lilli was alive and staying with her paramour in Kolkata, but their pleas fell on deaf ears of police authorities. In a dramatic development, lilli appeared in person in a Baripada court on September 3 and swore an affidavit before a Notary that she was alive and her brother and husband have been falsely implicated with murder charges.
“False implication of two innocent persons in a heinous crime, their torture in custody and detention for four long months is a gross violation of their human rights. Besides, the matter also involves suppression of the murder/unnatural death of another woman whose identity remains to be established,” the commission observed, adding, “The negligence on the part of public servant is apparent, hence responsibility should be fixed and compensation should be paid to victims.” Rights activist Subhash Mohapatra filed a petition at the NHRC seeking justice for Sukdev and Sudam.