JAIPUR: IN a shocking incident, an inspector in-charge (IIC) and a lady assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Dharmasala police station were allegedly beaten up by three persons of a family in Odanga village on Thursday.

The cops, who were in the village to search for a house as directed by the local court, were thrashed by the accused. The injured IIC Umakanta Nayak was rushed to Dharmasala CHC and later shifted to SCB Medical in Cuttack as his condition deteriorated.

Police said one Pramod Kumar Malik of Prathamakhandi village had approached the court of the sub-divisional magistrate, Jajpur for custody of his five-year-old nephew as the minor’s parents had died last year. The child, identified as Sai, has been staying with his grandfather and two paternal uncles in Odanga village. Pramod prayed before the court to take custody of Sai so that he can take good care of him.

The court directed Dharmasala police to rescue the child through a search warrant and hand him over to his maternal uncle. Acting on the court’s direction, a police team, led by ASI Usharani Jena, went to the house of Netrananda Malik of Odanga village, where the child resides, at around 11 am on Thursday.
When the lady ASI tried to enforce the search warrant, Netrananda and his two sons, Mohan Malkik and Haladhar Malik, protested and allegedly attacked her. The police team returned without conducting any search of the house and reported the matter to the IIC.

When the IIC proceeded to the spot with a police team and tried to enter the house with the search warrant, Netrananda and his sons attacked him with iron rods and other hard objects. They also snatched the search warrant from the police and tore it. The IIC sustained head injuries.

A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of IPC and Arms Act. Jajpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Kedarnath Sahoo is supervising the case. “We have arrested all accused and sent them to the local court,” the SDPO said. The accused were later remanded in judicial custody after their bail applications were rejected, police said.