Bhubaneswar: The Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed Twin City Commissioner of Police to conduct an enquiry and file its report within a week regarding alleged police neglect in tracing Ishak Digal of Saliasahi, a 14-year-old boy who met with an accident June 5.
Demanding a thorough probe into this case, Pabitra Digal, father of the boy filed a petition at OHRC June 17. The petitioner alleged that the IIC, Nayapalli Police Station did not attach any importance to his complaint, instead mocked him by advising him to look for his son on his own and sent him back.
Later, the petitioner went to the DCP Bhubaneswar and filed a written report. Following that DCP Satyabrat Bhoi instructed the IIC, Nayapalli Police Station to enquire into the matter and asked the petitioner to meet the IIC. But Pabitra alleged when he went to meet the IIC, he was abused and shooed away. Earlier, local people of the Saliasahi had staged demonstration at Nayapalli police station June 16 alleging police inaction in tracing Ishak, who had gone missing June 5.
The father of the boy, Pabitra Digal had been to Nayapalli police station to lodge a missing complaint June 6 and had also given the photograph of his son but police didn’t take any step. The parents said that later they were told by some people that their son was injured in an accident near Biju Patnaik College here on the night of June 5. Police took him to Capital Hospital and later, he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where he succumbed June 6. The hospital had handed over the body to Mangalabag police station, Cuttack.
The Mangalabag police station waited for 72 hours before cremating it as the body had remained unclaimed. The parents of the boy got to know about him June 15. The petitioner has questioned the conduct of Nayapalli and Mangalabag police station. He asked why police didn’t inform him about the accident of Ishak, when they were already aware of it.
The petitioner further alleged that the body parts of his deceased son might have been sold instead of being cremated. OHRC will hear the matter June 27 to decide on future action. Notably, Commissionerate police June 17 suspended assistant sub-inspector NC Swain and issued show-cause notice to Nayapalli IIC SM Pradhan over their dereliction of duty in connection with this case.
