Cuttack: Orissa High Court Thursday held two police officials guilty of dereliction of duty in connection with a custodial death at Sahid Nagar police station in 2012 and asked the state government to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family.
Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sadangi clarified that the compensation money should be paid to the family of the victim, Kuldeep Mohapatra, within four months and that the amount should be recovered from the salaries of the two erring police officials – then inspector-in-charge of Sahid Nagar police station and the investigating officer of the case.
Kuldeep, who was picked up by Sahid Nagar police in connection with an extortion case, had died in police custody June 5, 2012. His father, Rabindranath Mohapatra, had alleged that the death was caused by torture in custody.
In a petition before the high court seeking judicial intervention in the case, he had alleged that Kuldeep, instead of being taken to a hospital, was tortured in custody by the police officials. The petitioner had demanded an independent inquiry into the matter, action against the errant officials and `20 lakh compensation for the death.
Kuldeep was picked up by police on the birthday of his only son at Mushatikiri under Balichandrapur police limits in Jajpur district, according to the petitioner. Kuldeep, who lived in Bhubaneswar, had gone to fill petrol in his motorcycle and had told his family that he would reach home by the evening. The whole family was in a festive mood when the news of Kuldeep’s death came, said the petitioner. Kuldeep was implicated in a false case and killed by torture in police custody, alleged Rabindranath in his petition.
Police, however, claimed Kuldeep was intercepting vehicles on a road and extorting money from the vehicle owners by identifying himself as a policeman when some bikers thrashed him and left him critically injured. Sahid Nagar police claimed Kuldeep was picked up from the spot and brought to the police station. As his condition worsened, he was shifted to a hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, claimed police. PNN
