Bhubaneswar, June 1: Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania has ordered an inquiry by the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) into the death of a 32-year-old man from Ganjam district amid allegations of custodial torture at Kabisuryanagar Police Station.
The deceased, Sushant Sahu of Subulia village, passed away on Monday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Berhampur. His family has alleged that he was subjected to severe physical torture during police custody.
According to family members, Sushant, a physically challenged daily wage labourer, was detained by police on May 25 in connection with a stone-blasting case. They claimed he was held at Kabisuryanagar Police Station for several days and was handed over to the family on Saturday in a critical condition. He was initially admitted to a hospital in Aska before being shifted to Berhampur, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
His wife, Mamajin Pardhan, alleged that Sushant was taken into custody following a minor verbal altercation at his workplace. She claimed that he was brutally assaulted during detention, leaving blisters across his body, and further alleged that hot water had been poured on him. According to the family, he endured nearly a week of torture before being released.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage in the locality, with residents demanding a transparent and impartial investigation into the custodial death allegations. The HRPC probe is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the detention, treatment, and subsequent death of Sushant Sahu.
