The Odisha State Human Rights Commission (OSHRC) on Friday directed the Principal Secretary of Home Department to pay Rs 3 lakh as compensation in connection with the police custodial death case in Jujumura in Sambalpur district in 2017.
Notably, an under-trial prisoner died (UTP) under suspicious circumstances at Jujumura on June 19, 2017.
Sources said the Town Police had arrested a resident of Palampur in Purulia district of West Bengal Abhya Singh, who had come there to earn his livelihood by selling handicraft items.
Singh was then arrested and later produced in the court on allegations of smuggling ganja under the Jujumura police station. A few days later Singh fell sick and was admitted to VIMSAR Burla where he died on June 19, 2017.
However, his wife alleged that he died due to torture by police in custody.
later, the family filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over Abhya’s death, acting on which, the NHRC had also directed the HRPC Additional DG to submit a report on the issue. The case was received on transfer by the OSHRC from the NHRC.