Sambalpur: A team from Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) of Orissa Police has started an inquiry into the custodial death of a teenager at Ainthapali police station in the city area.
The team, headed by SP Gopal Krushna Patnaik, came here Saturday on the directive of Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC). It met Sambalpur SP Sanjeev Arora in his office to discuss the case details. A forensic team also accompanied the investigating members. They are expected to stay here for three days.
The team took possession of the broken CCTV cameras and some other important things from the police station that may provide some important clues and evidence they are looking for.
Four high definition CCTV cameras were functioning in the police station with two LED monitors, one in the officer in-charge’s chamber and another in the main hall. All these were ransacked Friday morning. It is said that only two computer drives with some data backup could be recovered after the arson.
Earlier, the police station was ransacked and torched Friday morning by some villagers from Bhalupali after they came to know that their village boy Abhinash Munda (19) died in police custody there the previous night.
He was nabbed by Ainthapali police after it was established that he was involved in a burglary case at Royal Retreat Tuesday night, where a marriage function was going on. It is said that he broke into a locked room through its rear window and stole cash, gold ornaments and other valuables belonging to the bridegroom’s family. Police recovered the booty from Abhinash’s home in the village after he confessed to the crime.
However, the custodial death of the boy was shrouded in mystery. Police claimed it to be case of suicide, whereas it was alleged that he died due to severe thrashing by police during interrogation. PNN
