Odisha: HC Summons 3 Cops Again In Custody Death Of 21-Yer-Old Youth In 2018

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has ordered an ASI and two constables of Bhadrak Town police station to appear in court again in connection with the death a 21-year-old youth in police custody five years ago.

This followed a petition filed by mother of Amrit Puhan, who fell to death from a train while being brought back from Mumbai by the police, in August, seeking Rs 50 lakh compensation and other exemplary damages for the unnatural death of her son.

The single-judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi ordered for personal appearance of Trinath Bhoi (assistant sub-inspector), Sanmaya Patra and Janmejaya Bal (both constables) at 2pm on on November 13 to explain “as to what prevented them not to pull the chain of the train, when the deceased fell down…”

According to case records, the parents of an 18-year-old girl had lodged a police complaint, accusing Amrit of kidnapping their daughter. Later, they informed police about the whereabouts of their daughter. The three police officials of Bhadrak Town police station then went to Mumbai to rescue the girl. The incident took place when they were returning with the girl and Amrit on a train on April 6, 2018.

On September 5, 2023, Bhoi had submitted that Amrit was not arrested and was travelling on the train at the request of his elder brother. He then complained for uneasy and nauseous with vomiting, went to the entrance door of the moving train and jumped out of it.

Belda police of West Bengal recovered Amrit’s body from the tracks and registered an unnatural death case on April 6, 2018.