Excise team wrongfully detains innocent family, tenders apology

BERHAMPUR:  Excise personnel were left-red faced after wrongfully detaining a family on NH-59 at Aska Road mistaking them for drug peddlers on Wednesday. Sources said a woman, identified as Sangita Swain, was travelling from Koraput to Bhubaneswar along with her two brothers, father and kid in a vehicle via Berhampur.

An Excise team intercepted their car at Aska Road and asked the driver to stop the vehicle. The driver turned the car to the side of the road for parking but this irked the Excise staff. One of them reportedly smashed the car window with his baton. When the broken shards of glass injured the kid sitting inside, the family members got infuriated.

But ignoring their situation, the Excise personnel dragged the driver out of the vehicle and allegedly thrashed him. The family then came out and the personnel started searching the vehicle and their luggage. Till then, the innocent family members were unaware about the reason of their detention. But when the Excise team informed their higher-ups over phone that no contraband was found in the vehicle, the family rang up the police.

Realising their mistake, the Excise personnel fled the spot but the aggrieved family refused to leave the NH and demanded action against the enforcement team. As vehicular movement came to a standstill, Bada Bazaar police reached the spot and pacified the family members. Later, the victims lodged a complaint against the Excise personnel. Later, an Excise team reached Bada Bazaar police station and apologised to the family for their mistake following which the matter was solved.

Fugitive held
Rourkela: A fugitive rape accused Kishore Das (35), who had escaped from the custody of Chhend police here during medical examination at the Rourkela Government Hospital (RSP) on June 19, was rearrested from Puri district along with his accomplice Jyoti Ranjan Rout (23). Rout had assisted Das in the escape. Both them were forwarded to court on Thursday after brought from Puri on Wednesday night.