State rights panel seeks report from Jagatsinghpur SP on ‘custodial death’

Bhubaneswar/Kendrapada: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Monday took suo motu cognisance of a case related to the alleged death of a youth in police custody in Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday night. The rights panel sought a report from Jagatsinghpur SP Akhileshvar Singh by May 20. The OHRC’s investigation wing will also conduct a probe.
The deceased man, identified as Manoranjan Gedy, a contractual labourer of Paradip International Cargo Terminal at Brindavan colony, was arrested by Abhayachandpur police on Saturday afternoon on charges of selling drugs in the locality. But he was found dead in the district headquarters hospital (DHH) at Jagatsinghpur on Saturday night.
While taking cognisance of the case, the commission directed its own investigation wing to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit its report within two weeks. Director of investigation, OHRC, will take steps to conduct the inquiry regarding the matter and submit the report by May 20.
Incidentally, a controversy had erupted over a custodial death in Baseli Sahi police station of Puri district in November 2020 when Akhileshvar Singh was the Puri SP and current inspector in-charge of Abhayachandpur police station Jibanananda Jena was IIC of Baseli Sahi. Both were transferred from Puri amid political furore over the incident.