Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Monday directed the state Director General of Police and the Commissioner of Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack to probe the allegations of physical torture perpetrated by around ten police personnel on two Dalit girls at the Nayapalli police station here.
It directed that the reports be submitted within a week.
The direction was issued by OHRC acting chairperson B K Mishra while hearing a petition of the victims and two other petitioners.
Justice Mishra said the case will be put up for further orders on May 25.
The commission was hearing the petitions of human rights activist Pradipta Nayak and advocate Prabir Kumar Das, who alleged that the two sisters-Gayatri and Itishree Mallik-who are residents of Nayapalli area were taken to the police station by force.
The human rights activist referred to the news published in Orissa POST.
The sisters were also allegedly subjected to assault and sustained injuries, the petitioners alleged.
The two girls appeared before the OHRC and filed a separate petition alleging police brutalities on them. They alleged that inspector-in-charge of Nayapalli police station tried to molest them.
The inspector in-charge has been shifted from the Nayapalli police station. Two lady assistant sub inspectors of the Nayaplli police station were also transferred.
Police said personnel from Nayapalli police station had gone to Behera Sahi area after receiving a complaint about a clash between two families over a property dispute on May 6.
Two women constables were assaulted by the two sisters and injured while they were pacifying the agitated families.
The accused, including the complainant, were arrested and brought to the police station.
A case has been registered against the sisters under various sections of IPC on the basis of a complaint filed by the women constables.
The issue created a furore after some photos and a video clip of the victim girls showing the images of wounds inflicted during police assault went viral May 12. Later, several outfits including political parties, protested against police atrocity. The police allegedly picked up the girls from their homes illegally. One of the sisters, who is a B-Tech student, missed her examinations due to the incident.
Meanwhile, a Dalit outfit, Rashtriya Ambedkar Smruti Parishad, staged a protest before the Nayapalli police station Monday morning. Later, it submitted different memoranda through the Assistant Commissioner of Sahid Nagar zone seeking justice from Governor, Chief Minister and Director General of Police. The outfit demanded the immediate arrest of the accused officers.
It also demanded that the sisters be given employment in the government and paid Rs 50,000 each every month till it is done.
