While the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has already asked the Human Rights Cell of the State police to submit a report on the alleged police torture of one Ghanashyam Barik, a native of Badaindupur under the Koira police station of Sundargarh district, the victim also filed a case against the IIC of the Koira police station in the Bonei SDJM Court on Thursday. His case has been admitted and the court has registered a case against the IIC of Koira police station, which will be heard soon.
Sources said on August 15, a police team led by Koira police station IIC Arpita Khatua had arrested Ghanshyam from his house in front of his father and his two minor children, without mentioning any reason. IIC Arpita Khatua had dragged him to police station, suspecting his involvement in a dacoity case which had occurred in Badaindipur village on August 14.
Two days later, Ghanshyam’s wife Pushpalata along with a relative had gone to Koira police station and the Koira IIC told her to take Ghanshyam to home since police had not got any concrete evidence against him. But Ghanshyam could not stand on his feet due to beating by the police. Ghanshyam’s body had swelled and there were beating marks all over his body. The family members had to lift him to home and later shifted him to a hospital at Bonai.
The family members raised question on which ground the police had arrested Ghanshyam as a criminal and tortured in custody. Pushpalata wrote to the State Human Rights Commission , mentioning the police torture and seeking justice.
She also gave copies of her petition to the Sundargarh Collector, the Rourkela SP and the Bonei Sub Collector in this regard.