Kendrapara: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of Susant Behera, who was allegedly beaten to death in police custody at Pattamundai police station, said Collector, Samarth Verma.
Meanwhile, a case under Section 302 and 34 IPC has been registered against two police personnel in connection with 38-year-old Susant Behera’s death, said SP Niti Sekhar.
Action will be taken against the duo if it is proved in the post-mortem report that Susant was beaten to death, the SP said. “I have also verifying the CCTV footage of the Pattamundai police station in this regard,” he added.
Thursday, the post-mortem on Susant’s body was conducted in the presence of a magistrate and the process was video-recorded. A video recording copy is going to be sent to the NHRC, informed the SP.
Susant, a resident of Aradapalli village under Pattamundai police limits, used to operate illegal liquor trade in the locality. A couple of police personnel Wednesday arrested the bootlegger at about 2 pm from his house and allegedly assaulted him near his house before taking him to Pattamundai police station.
Susant fell sick in the police station and was rushed to Pattamundai CHC.
Later, he was referred to the district headquarters hospital and then shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where he died. Susant’s wife, Chinamayee, alleged that Pattamundai police personnel, including the IIC, assaulted her husband brutally in police custody which led to his death at the hospital. Chinmayee lodged an FIR with the SDPO of Pattamundai and staged a dharna demanding the arrest of the accused police Wednesday night.
