Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Excise Commissioner on Thursday suspended two officials of Pattamundai Excise police station in Odisha’s Kendrapada following allegations of third-degree torture and illegal detention of a local youth during a raid on suspected illicit liquor trade.
The suspended officers are Sub-Inspector (SI) Chhayakanta Nayak and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Pradeep Kumar Mallik.
According to sources, the incident occurred at Baradia village under Rajnagar police limits. The youth, identified as Binod Das, had tipped off the Excise Department about an alleged illegal liquor operation in the village. When SI Nayak and his team conducted the raid, Binod reportedly began recording the operation on his mobile phone.
Excise personnel allegedly objected to the filming, detained the youth forcibly, and assaulted him inside a vehicle.
Following the incident, Binod lodged a written complaint at Rajnagar police station against six cops, including SI Chhayakanta Nayak. Police registered a case and initiated an investigation. SI Nayak was earlier transferred in connection with the matter amid public outrage.
“Though the allegation of assault has not been proved, they should have informed police in case of any obstruction to the raid and not picked up the youth,” Superintendent of Excise, Kendrapada, Bipra Mandal said, adding that the SI and ASI have been shifted to Deputy Commissioner Excise, Central Division, Cuttack.
