Kendrapada: Sandhyarani Jena, the former Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Talachua Marine Police Station in Kendrapada district, is facing a departmental inquiry after Odisha Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra ordered formal proceedings against her over allegations of custodial torture of a mother-son duo.
Jena, currently posted as an inspector in the Crime Branch (CID-CB), is accused of subjecting Annapurna Mandal (55), and her 31-year-old son Ananta Kumar Mandal of Giria Pahi village to third-degree methods inside the police station on May 25, 2026. The duo was summoned following a domestic dispute complaint filed by Annapurna’s husband the previous day. According to their accounts, they were physically assaulted, verbally abused in filthy language, confined for nearly four hours including inside a toilet, intimidated with threats, and forced to sign blank papers while in custody.Ommcomnews
Medical examination of Ananta at the Community Health Centre in Rajnagar revealed an abrasion injury less than 24 hours old, providing corroboration for the assault claims and fuelling public outrage as well as intervention by the National Human Rights Commission. A preliminary probe by Pattamundai Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sukanta Kumar Patra found that CCTV footage from the station had been deliberately formatted and deleted. Technical experts confirmed the surveillance system was fully functional, with passwords handed over to Jena at her request shortly before the hard disks were wiped, pointing to intentional suppression of evidence.
Jena was suspended earlier on charges of misconduct and dereliction of duty after the then Kendrapada SP ordered an investigation. Her subsequent explanation to a show-cause notice was deemed unsatisfactory.
The DGP’s order initiates departmental action citing gross misconduct, abuse of official position, dereliction of duty, suppression of evidence and conduct unbecoming of a police officer, in violation of Rule 3 of the Odisha Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1959. Kendrapada Additional SP Sudhakar Sahoo has been named the inquiry officer, with DSP Gopinath Pradhan of the Investigative Unit on Crime against Women serving as marshalling officer. Both have been directed to complete the detailed probe and submit findings within 45 days, with the state police signalling that accountability measures will follow as pressure for justice continues.
