Subarnapur district’s Ulunda police on Friday arrested one more accused in connection with the alleged murder of Makhun Bag in police custody at Bargarh district’s Bheden Police Station three months back.
With arrest of Prakash Dehury, a Home Guard at the Bheden PS, the number of arrested rose to four. Dehury was arrested for his alleged complicity in the murder of Bag.
On Thursday, driver Pramod Sahu was arrested and earlier to his arrest two other police officers, SI Soumyaranjan Patra and ASI Pitamber Behera had been arrested on Wednesday. The three have already been sent to judicial custody after a court at Birmaharajpur rejected their bail pleas.
These police staffs of the Bheden PS were arrested after Makhun’s skeleton was recovered from the Ulunda forest. The DNA tests confirmed that the skeleton was of Makhun.
Though four cops have been arrested so far, OIC Sushil Nayak and three other staffs of the Bheden PS are still on the run.
Reports said OIC Nayak had summoned Makhun of Dekulba village to the police station on July 17 this year for interrogation in a rape case registered against his second son. But Makhun did not return home for several days following which his family members launched a frantic search, but in vain.
As all their attempts failed, locals gheraoed the Bheden PS on September 16. Following this, the Bargarh RDC and Subarnapur SP began a probe into the matter.
After almost two months, a skeleton was found in Metakani forest under the Ulunda police station on September 24. After this, Makhun’s son, Biju Bag, lodged a complaint with the Ulunda police station alleging that his father had been murdered by the Bheden police and his body had been dumped in the forest.
Notably, Bargarh SP Ashish Kumar Singh suspended four policemen of the Bheden PS, OIC Sushil Nayak, arrested SI Soumyaranjan Patra, ASI Pitamber Behera and Constable Gita Bhoi, on Wednesday in connection with the case. The SP has also requested the District Judge in writing to conduct a judicial inquiry into the matter.