Odisha Police Draws High Court Ire For ‘Cooked-Up’ Story

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has pulled up Rairangpur town police of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj districts for initiating criminal proceedings against a person with a ‘cooked up story’ which was inherently improbable.

The indictment came on Monday as the court assessed the material records regarding the case registered against one Abhisek Pattnaik in June 2018 for allegedly abusing policemen in obscene language and threatening to kill them.

“It must be kept in mind that there were as many as five policemen at the spot. First, it does not stand to reason as to why the accused would suddenly flare up and abuse the policemen who had not ill-treated him at all. Secondly, it seems rather far-fetched that a person as badly injured as the accused at the relevant time would have the mental and physical courage and even strength to abuse, threaten and assault two policemen from out of the group of five including an ASI,” observed Justice Sashikanta Mishra.

The further allegation that he threatened to kill the policemen by engaging goondas seems entirely out of context as there was no plausible reason whatsoever for him to say so, the court said.

“The very nature of the accusations appears to be improbable or in any case, difficult to believe. Thus, the very substratum of the case appears to be shaky and unworthy of belief.”

Abhishek had challenged the proceedings, which were pending in the SDJM court, Rairangpur, in the high court.

According to the case record, the accused sped away when stopped by police and lost balance while crossing a speed-breaker resulting in his fall and injuries. He then allegedly abused the policemen in obscene language, threatened and attempted to assault them.