SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Bhubaneswar: A Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob, suspecting him of being involved in a theft case in Odisha’s Khurda district, police said on Tuesday, June 30.
The family members of the deceased also accused the police of assaulting Tofan Nayak (32) after rescuing him from the mob attack and taking the injured man home instead of a hospital.
The police, who arrested two persons in connection with the lynching, rejected the allegation that Nayak was assaulted after the force rescued him.
The incident took place at Khanat village under Banpur police station area at about 4 pm on Sunday, June 28, where the villagers allegedly tied Nayak to an electric pole and physically assaulted him by several people.
He was rescued by the police at about 6 pm and handed over to his family two hours later. The family took him to a hospital.
Nayak died on Monday, June 29, during treatment at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Earlier, he was admitted to Banpur Community Health Centre (CHC).
The cause of death will be ascertained after post-mortem examination, the police said.
Meanwhile, based on a preliminary investigation, the Odisha Police headquarters rejected the allegation of custodial violence by Banapur Police.
“The allegation is not supported by the available materials at this stage. The Zimmanama (handing over) executed by the parents, their statement before the CHC Banapur doctor, photographs of Tofan with family members at the time of release, and available CCTV footage of the police station are being examined,” the police said in a statement.
Banapaur Police Station inspector in-charge Jayprakash Parida said, “One can verify the CCTV footage of Nayak being brought to the police station. He was made to sit outside the police station and never taken to the lock-up. There was no assault on him in police custody. He was healthy when being handed over to the family, though intoxicated.”
Two accused arrested
The police have meanwhile arrested Pabitra Rout (51) and Sarat Kumar Swain (60), both residents of Khanat village under Banapur police station.
Khurda Superintendent of Police Parmar Smit Parshottamdas said a detailed investigation into the incident is underway, and further action will be taken after the postmortem report is received.
The police have registered a case of murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on the complaint lodged by Nayak’s wife, Sasmita.
She alleged that her husband was beaten up by people at Khanta village as well as by the personnel at the police station.
Bhikari Nayak, the father of the deceased, held the police responsible for the death of his son.
“The police rescued him from the village where my son was being beaten up. It was the duty of the police to refer him to a hospital instead of forcing us to take my injured son home,” he said.
Nayak’s mother Sachala demanded a high-level inquiry and strict action against both police personnel and villagers involved in the assault.
The incident came in less than two weeks after a mob attack on two NGO workers, including a woman in Rayagada district.
This is also the second mob lynching incident in Khurda district where a GRP constable was beaten to death at Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on May 7.
SOURCE : SIASAT
