Tihidi: In yet another incident of police brutality, a minor boy from Narendrapur village under Pirahat police limits in Bhadrak district was beaten up by men in khaki at the police station, his parents alleged Friday.
The matter came to the fore after the boy’s father, Sarat Majhi, lodged a complaint with the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), demanding justice and disciplinary action against the accused officers Friday.
Police officials not only reportedly beat up his son but also asked him to open his pants and shirt.
In the complaint, Sarat alleged that the incident stemmed from a mobile phone theft case registered October 27, in which a local woman had named his 14-year-old son, Deeptikant, as a suspect.
The following day, Sarat filed a counter-complaint. However, police reportedly called Sarat over the phone and asked him to arrive with his son at the police station for questioning by 8 pm, November 2.
IIC Rojalin Behera questioned both parties regarding the stolen phone. When the boy denied involvement, a sub-inspector allegedly dragged him outside and brutally assaulted him.
Another staffer reportedly hit the boy on the chest with a pipe and verbally abused him.
The family claimed the boy was also threatened with the removal of his shirt and pants during the assault, for which he had to unbutton his shirt.
However, IIC Behera denied the allegations, stating that the minor boy and his father were only called for questioning regarding the theft case and that the claim of police assault was “baseless.”