Puri Custodial Death: Petitioner Alleges Presence Of SP At Police Station

Cuttack: Even as the Odisha government has submitted its affidavit to the High Court on the alleged custodial death of K Ramesh in Puri district, the petitioner has filed a fresh affidavit, claiming that the former Puri SP was present at Baseli Sahi police station on the day of the incident.

The petitioner said police had picked up K Ramesh from his house in the Loknath Road area and brought him to the police station.

On its part, the government mentioned in its affidavit that Rs 5 lakh in compensation has already been provided to the family of the deceased and a petition has been filed before the district judge for a judicial probe into the matter.

The affidavit also said that the government will abide by the directive of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on this matter.

The court posted its next hearing of the case to December 14.

The family of the deceased had earlier alleged that the police had picked up Ramesh from his house on the night of November 16 who and he later died at the district headquarters hospital.

The police, in its counter, had told the High Court that it was not a custodial death as the youth died after falling on the ground during a scuffle with police.

Challenging the claim of the police, Sarat Kumar Rayguru, a Puri-based lawyer, had filed a petition in the High Court seeking a court-monitored probe and immediate action against the police officials involved in the case apart from compensation to the family of the deceased.