Phulbani: In a clear breach of an apex court order, the district police Tuesday made an undertrial to walk with handcuffs on from the sub-jail here to the bus stand from where he was supposed to board a bus for Baliguda jail, covering a distance of over 1.5 km in broad daylight.
The incident sparked shock and confusion in the minds of the passersby as they failed to figure out why the prisoner was forced to walk in handcuffs on a busy road guarded by police.
The victim was identified as Chitrasen Mallik of Jhidingipangar village in Kutikia panchayat under Baliguda police limits in Kandhamal district. While some claimed he is a Maoist, others said he was involved in a gruesome murder case.
However, an inquiry revealed that he was arrested for ganja smuggling. The denizens condemned the move by the police of making a prisoner walk on the road instead of carrying him in a van.
Sources said Mallik was arrested by police August 2, 2017 on charge of smuggling ganja over an earlier complaint lodged in October, 2016. After his arrest, Mallik was lodged in Phulbani sub-jail but prison authorities decided to shift him to Baliguda jail Tuesday.
According to rules, he was required to be carried in an escort van under the close watch of police. However, police violated the manual and handcuffed him before making him walk to the bus-stand to board a bus for Baliguda jail.
When contacted, jaillor Mirza Abid Baig tried to wash his hands, saying that the jail has no role after handing over the custody of the undertrial to police.
It is the responsibility of the police to take every precaution while shifting an undertrial to another jail.
SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra tried to reject the claims, stating that vehicles are provided to shift undertrials from one jail to another.
He, however, promised to conduct a probe and take action if it is found that there was violation of the jail manual. PNN
