Sunday 10 June 2012

 Family seeks CBI probe into ‘custody torture death’

BHUBANESWAR: Family members of Kuldeep Mahapatra, who allegedly died after torture in police custody on June 5, on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the incident and suspension of inspector Alok Jena even as the commissionerate police transferred the latter from Saheed Nagar. "We shifted him (Alok Jena) to ensure a fair probe," said DCP Nitinjeet Singh. Jena swapped places with Chandrasekharpur inspector (traffic) K P Mishra. 
Mahapatra's family alleged that police wasted crucial time in presenting Kuldeep in front of media instead of shifting him to hospital. "Police tortured him to death. But assuming that he was beaten up by a mob as police are saying now, they should have rushed him to the hospital instead of parading him before the media," his father Rabindra Nath Mahapatra said. 
The family members and human rights activists were speaking to reporters on the alleged custodial torture leading to death. "Had police allowed him to drink even a glass of water after beating him, he may not have died," his mother Manjubala said. "I saw my son's badly bruised body had severe injury marks on his private parts and neck. His toes were almost severed. Thick clots of blood were apparent on his chest," she said. 
Human Rights Front chairperson Manoj Jena said there were lot of inconsistencies in the police version of the event. "According to police, people handed over Kuldeep to them on the morning of June 5. Instead of sending him for treatment, police waited to present him at a press conference to reveal how the victim was involved in extortion masquerading as a policeman. Around 2.45 pm that day, the DCP told the media that he was forwarded to court. However, around the same time doctors in Capital Hospital declared him brought dead," Jena told reporters. "Even if he was an extortionist, police had no licence to kill him," he added. 
In a press release, Human Rights Front (HRF) said it suspected that Kuldeep was tortured in custody for several days leading to his death because of his "past enmity" with inspector Alok Jena. 
During the press conference on Saturday, policemen were seen prompting questions to certain journalists directed at the deceased's criminal past while another section of cops were present just outside the venue, briefing media about police innocence in the matter.

CBI probe into city custodial death case demanded

The Human Rights Front (HRF) on Saturday demanded a CBI inquiry into the Saheednagar police station custodial death case. It alleged that Kuldeep Mohapatra died in the custody due to severe torture by police officials.
At a Press meet here, HRF president Manoj Jena said the statement which was given by the police at a news conference on June 5 about Kuldeep for impersonating as a special squad inspector and extorting money was totally baseless. Even any attack on Kuldeep by locals was also an imaginary story made out by the IIC of the police station, they added.
On the other hand, the members said the locals denied the charge of beating Kuldeep. They said that they did not have any idea about the incident on that particular place said by the police. The HRF members questioned that why the police delayed in treatment of the deceased if he was attacked by the locals. According to the police, he was severely injured during their rescue in the morning time. Then, why the IIC, Alok Jena, called a Press conference at the afternoon without admitting him in the hospital. This was open violation of the NHRC guidelines, the members added.
The HRF said the police have failed to maintain the Supreme Court guideline to prepare an 'Arrest Memo' first and then an 'Inspection Memo' in the case of an injured person along with signatures of the culprit, witness and the police officer, which was not properly maintained in this case by the police station officials. The police had informed the family members of Kuldeep after his death instead of informing his family after the arrest which violates the guidelines of arrest, they added. According to Rabindranath Mohapatra, father of the deceased, who along with other family members were present at the HRF meeting, IIC Jena had arrested his son in a loot case falsely in 2010 when he was the IIC of the Lingaraj police station. We had filed a petition in the High Court, the State Human Rights Commission and the SDJM Court the illegal arrest and it was the reason behind the death of Kuldeep, he added.
Besides a CBI inquiry, the HRF demanded suspension and stringent action against IIC Jena and the police officers who were on duty and adequate compensation for the deceased's family.
Among others, Ambedkar Lohia Bichar Manch president Pratap Sahu, Odisha Pragati Mahila Manch convener Mamata Samantray and HRF member Sandeep Mohnaty were present.

Victim’s kin cry foul play, Sahid Nagar IIC shunted

By Express News Service - BHUBANESWAR
10th June 2012 08:58 AM
Even as IIC of Saheed Nagar Police Station Alok Jena has been transferred pending investigation in the alleged custodial death of Kuldeep Mohapatra, the family members of the deceased on Saturday came down heavily on the Commissionerate Police. The kin alleged violation of NHRC guidelines by police and demanded a CBI probe.
Kuldeep’s father Rabindra Nath Mohapatra said the claim of police that his son was demanding extortion from truckers was only to cover up the whole episode. There is a mismatch between what the police said and what actually happened near Maharaja Theatre where the incident reportedly occurred in the small hours of Tuesday.
“While police claimed that his son was received-dead at Capital Hospital at 2.45 pm, it was around the same time Bhubaneswar DCP Nitinjit Singh told TV channels that Kuldeep was being produced at a local court. How did these two happen simultaneously?’’ he wondered addressing mediapersons here on Saturday.
As per Supreme Court guidelines, police should have prepared an Arrest Memo after taking into custody an accused but it was not done. Similarly, an Inspection Memo should also have been prepared in which signatures of the accused as well as witnesses are to be put. A copy of the same is to be supplied to the accused, but all these provisions were violated and the family was informed only after Kuldeep’s death, his wife Swagatika Mohapatra said.
The family also charged the police with framing Kuldeep since Jena was allegedly nursing a grudge against him.
Interestingly, the media conference had been infiltrated by plainclothes police officials too. Special Branch officials as well as local police were seen trying to prompt questions on criminal antecedents of Kuldeep.
With the controversy refusing to die down, Police Commissioner Sunil Roy has transferred Jena to Traffic Police, Chandrasekharpur, to facilitate an impartial inquiry into the case. In his place, Traffic Inspector K P Mishra has been posted.

Rights activists cry foul over custodial death

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/article3511484.ece

Independent investigation can alone bring out the truth, they say

Human rights activist here on Saturday alleged that the Commissionerate of Police handled critical heath conditions of Kuldip Mohapatra, an accused, in utterly insouciant manner which ultimately led to his death.

Addressing a press conference here, activists under the banner of the Human Rights Front said had the police reacted to critical condition of Kuldip, who was in the custody of Sahid Nagar police for several hours, he would not have died.

Family members, who were also present in the press briefing, alleged that police were trying to give an impression that Kuldip succumbed to injuries after being reportedly beaten up by the crowd.

“But, fact remained that my son was inhumanly tortured in police custody. He was denied medical attention. The Commissionerate police were busy boasting its achievement before media persons. However, it did not feel essential to take my son to a hospital,” alleged Rabindra Nath Mohaptra, father of deceased.

Kuldip's mother, Manjubala Mohapatra, was inconsolable. She alleged that had the police offered a glass of water to her son when his condition deteriorated, he would have lived a few hours more in his life. Manjubala also alleged, “body of my son carried several critical injury marks in his toes, neck, waist and private parts. Now we are determined to fight against cruelty of police towards accused in the custody.”

The Commissionerate police refused to meet the delegation, said Manoj Jena of HRF.
“As Commissionerate Police would find it difficult to wipe out the custodial death slur, we suspect it would reconstruct the whole case to save its own skin. An independent investigating agency such as CBI should be entrusted to probe the matter,” Mr. Jena demanded.

Family members and rights activist also questioned the role of Deputy Commissioner of Police Nitinjit Singh. “Surprisingly, at around 2.45 pm on Tuesday, DCP told media persons that Kuldip had been forwarded to court. But, at the same time doctors at Capital Hospital declared him brought dead,” the HRF member said. Family members vowed to take the fight against Commissionerate police to logical end.

Meanwhile, Alok Jena, inspector in charge of Sahid Nagar police station, who was in the eye of storm following allegations of victim's family member that he had tortured the accused, had been transferred.
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