Baripada: The death of a young man who allegedly died by suic*de near Kuliana police station in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has triggered widespread public outrage, with hundreds of residents blocking National Highway-18 Sunday and accusing police of “negligence” in investigating the theft of his vehicle.
The deceased was identified as Deepak Kumar Barik of Kamata village under Kuliana police limits. His body was recovered from an abandoned building near the police station, where he was found hanging with a towel tied around his neck.
According to family members and local residents, Barik had been under severe mental stress after the SUV he had taken on lease was stolen about a month ago. He had reportedly lodged a complaint with Kuliana police and repeatedly visited the station seeking action, but was allegedly dissatisfied with the response.
Residents claimed that after “receiving no concrete assurance regarding the recovery of the vehicle”, Barik staged a sit-in protest in front of the police station along with his wife and two sons. Police personnel allegedly persuaded him to withdraw the protest, assuring him that efforts would be made to trace the vehicle.
However, locals alleged that “no significant progress was made in the case”. Barik again visited the police station Saturday and reportedly left disappointed. Hours later, he was found dead.
A relative said Barik had informed family members that he was at the police station and had spent the night there pursuing the case. The family later received information that he had allegedly taken the extreme step.
The incident sparked anger among residents of Kamata and nearby villages. Demanding justice and action against those responsible, hundreds of protesters placed Barik’s body on NH-18 at Kamata square Sunday and staged a road blockade.
Vehicular movement on the busy highway came to a complete halt for several hours as protesters refused to remove the body. Long queues of vehicles were seen stranded on both sides of the road, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.
The protesters alleged that police “inaction and negligence” had driven Barik to take the extreme step and demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to his death.
As tension mounted, the district administration deployed two platoons of police personnel to maintain law and order. Senior police and administrative officials rushed to the spot and held discussions with the agitating residents in an attempt to restore normalcy.
Despite repeated appeals from authorities, protesters remained firm on their demands for justice and accountability. Efforts were underway to persuade them to withdraw the blockade and clear the highway.
Police had not issued any detailed statement regarding the allegations of negligence at the time of filing this report.
PNN