The controversial custodial death of a youth at the Phulbani Town police station has taken a new turn with the deceased being identified as Amit Nayak and not Pratap Pradhan as claimed by the police earlier.
The matter came to light after the family members identified the deceased as Amit Nayak alias litu.
According to reports, Amit was a native of Ganjuguda of Gadaguda panchayat under Tikabali block in Kandhamal district. His father Mahendra Nayak, a former Army sepoy of the Bihar Regiment, had died on November 18, 2011.
Neither Amit’s mother and nor the people in Ganjaguda village accept the police version that Amit was involved in Maoist activities.
After a day of Amit’s death, the G Udayagiri police on December 24 took Amit’s mother along with two Ganjaguda villagers to the Phulbani Town PS. The police took her to identify the body and she immediately recognised it to be that of her son. There was no cloth on his body which bore several bruises.
When asked about the how her son died and how he was brought here, the police, instead of giving any reply, took her signature and sent the body to the MKCG Medical College Hospital at Brahmapur for postmortem.
After the post mortem, the police on the pretext of the proposed Kandhamal Bandh call asked Amit’s mother to perform the cremation of her son in Brahmapur. But she turned down their plea and the body was later taken to Ganjaguda, where it was cremated.
The question is why the police were claiming that the deceased was a Maoist called Pratap Pradhan. The district SP had informed about the death of Amit (claimed as Pratap) on the night on December 23. The police also informed about the seizure of a diary, two mobile phones and the bike of Amit next day.
It seems quite clear that the police have been trying to cover up Amit’s custodial death. On December 23, Amit had left the village by his bike saying he would return in 15 minutes. His engagement ceremony was held on November 13 while his marriage was scheduled for April next. His mother now accuses the police of killing him.