Villagers in Odisha are protesting alleged police torture of a man who refused to identify a body as his missing wife, prompting a state police investigation.
Key Points
- Odisha villagers protest alleged police torture of Rakesh Behera for refusing to identify a body.
- Rakesh Behera's family alleges he was tortured after his wife went missing and a body was found.
- The Director General of Odisha Police has sought a report on the torture allegations.
- Protesters blocked a road connecting Cuttack and Bhubaneswar demanding action against the accused police personnel.
- The incident follows similar accusations against police in Kendrapara district, Odisha.
A day after the family of a man alleged that he was tortured by police for refusing to identify the body of a woman as that of his missing wife, residents of Odisha's Chandiprasad village staged a protest on Friday demanding action against the accused.
Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo rejected the allegation of torture and claimed that the man, Rakesh Behera, was undergoing treatment for kidney and lung diseases.
Allegations of Police Misconduct
However, the state police chief has sought a report on the allegations of torture made by the locals.
According to officials, Behera's wife went missing on May 16, following which he lodged a complaint at the Barang police station.
He was detained for questioning on Thursday after police found the body of an unidentified woman from the Mahanadi river on May 22.
Villagers Allege Torture, Demand Justice
Villagers claimed that Behra had told police that the body was not that of his wife, who was later located in Delhi. However, police refused to believe his statement and tortured him physically, his father Kartik Behera alleged.
"A team of around six police personnel took Rakesh to a nearby forest on Thursday night and assaulted him mercilessly. My son was critically injured, and he is now battling for his life. The police officials are not giving us any updates on his health condition," the father alleged.
Protests Erupt Over Police Actions
On Friday, hundreds of people blocked a road connecting Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, and held a protest demanding to know the health updates of Behera and stern action against the accused police personnel.
Director General of Odisha Police Y B Khurania said, "Third degree (torture) has no place in the Odisha Police system. I have sought a report from the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police commissioner about the allegations being made by the locals."
This came close on the heels of a woman and her son in Kendrapara district accusing officials of the Talchua Marine Police Station of torturing them. The inspector of the police station has been placed under suspension.
