Only 10 convictions in cases probed by Crime Branch in last 10 years: Odisha Minister

The Odisha Crime Branch has secured convictions in only 10 out of the total 225 cases it investigated in the last 10 years, Minister of State for Home Tusharkanti Behera told the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Replying to a question asked by BJP MLA Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, who represents Jashipur Assembly Constituency, the minister said the probe agency has filed chargesheet in 88 cases and arrested 261 persons between 2013 and 2022. 

While the trials have been completed in 11 cases, the CB has secured convictions of 10 accused, Behera informed the House.

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The minister further informed the House that the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Bhubaneswar has a polygraph testing facility but it does not have a provision for narco test.

Similarly, as many as 597 people have died in different jails and police stations across Odisha in a span of 10 years, the Minister told the Assembly.

Between 2013 and 2022, 200 prisoners and 346 under-trials died in different jails, while 51 died in police custody, the minister said in his reply to BJD member and Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

Eleven prisoners and 35 UTPs were reported to have died in 2013, and the figures rose to 24 and 49 respectively in 2022, the minister said.

A total of 78 prisoners died in 2020 alone, he stated.

(Reported by Jagdish Das, OTV)