Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has asked the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh each to two convicts for putting them behind bars for a crime that they did not commit.
The two were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment for murdering a minor boy in Paikamal area of Bargarh district. However, the minor boy was later found to be alive.
While elaborating the case Thursday, counsel of the two convicts Biswapriya Kanungo said that a minor boy of Paikamal area went missing from Dec 7, 2016. The family members lodged a complaint. Acting on the complaint, police detained Halu Gurla and Raghav Naik of Paikamal.
Later, in order to avoid police torture, Gurla and Naik admitted that they had murdered the minor boy and dumped the body in Jeera river. Registering a murder case against them, police sent them to jail.
The minor boy who was believed to have been murdered returned home in 2018. During the period between 2016 and 18, he was in Kolkata. Then, the two convicts moved the OHRC alleging their wrongful imprisonment. They sought action against the then investigating police officer.
While hearing the plea of the two convicts, the Commission has directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 2.5lakh each to the two convicts. The said amount will be collected from the then Paikamal police station IIC Prakash Kumar Karna. The Home Department and DGP, Odisha have been directed to ensure the execution of the order within two months, Kanungo added.
PNN
