Odisha Cop Says Sorry For Custodial Torture Of Youth

Jagatsinghpur: A 25-year-old youth had to be hospitalised with severe injuries after being beaten in the lock up of Bandar Marine police station.

Police sources said the victim, Lulu Parida, of Naharana was detained on suspicion of theft. He was tortured by Sub-Inspector (SI) Ram Singh Hemram in custody to elicit a confession.

The case of custodial torture came even as the state government is batting for people-friendly policing system under the ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative.

According to locals, equipment worth over Rs 1 lakh was stolen from a motorcycle repairing shop at Naharana Bazaar on Thursday. Following this, the shop owner, Abhaya Muduli, lodged an FIR at Bandar Marine police station.

During their investigation, police suspected Lulu and his father, Birabar Parida, being involved in the theft and detained them for interrogation on Saturday.

While the duo refused their involvement, Hemram refused to believe them and gave Lulu a severe beating.

The youth sustained injuries and was admitted to Balikuda hospital. Later, he was shifted to the Jagatsinghpur district headquarters hospital.

Later, the errant SI admitted his fault and said he had made a mistake by assaulting Lulu in police custody.

“The youth threatened me for detaining him. I was enraged,” Hemram said.

Lulu’s father said the SI had apologised for his act in the presence of the village chief and other residents of Naharana on Monday. “As the police official admitted his mistake and apologised, we forgave him,” he added.

Cases of custodial torture are not new in Jagatsinghpur district. In 2018, the then SP, Prakash R, had suspended two policemen, including an Assistant SI, for subjecting a youth to third-degree torture on charges of misbehaving with a woman sarpanch.