Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) sought a report in connection with police apathy in a tribal boy’s missing and subsequent death case, Commissionerate Police on Monday assured of action against the guilty for such callousness.
Terming the incident as ‘unfortunate’, Police Commissioner YB Khurania told reporters that basing on preliminary inquiry Assistant Sub-Inspector of Nayapalli police station NC Swain has been suspended and further inquiry is underway.
“Commissionerate police has taken the matter seriously as it should not have happened. We will take the case to its logical conclusion and nobody would be spared,” said Khurania.
It may be recalled that a 14-year-old boy Ishak Digal of Adivasi slum had reportedly gone missing and a complaint was also lodged by his family on June 6.
According to reports, the boy was injured after being hit by an unknown vehicle near Biju Patnaik College Square and was admitted to Capital hospital and later shifted to SCB where he died while undergoing treatment.
The boy’s family apparently moved pillar to post to seek information about their missing son. However, the world turned upside down after they learnt that their son’s body was cremated by Mangalabag police presuming it to be an unclaimed body on June 12.
The Police Commissioner further informed that an internal systematic review was also done as to ascertain why there was no exchange of information so that such incidents do not recur by plugging the loopholes.
Khurania admitted that such lapses in communication occurred as most police stations and outposts lack ‘internet connectivity’ under the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTN).
As a result, there are problems in uploading pictures of the missing persons when such cases come up, Khurania added.