Former IIC Of Mahakalapada Sent To Jail In Custodial Death Case

Kendrapara: Former Inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Mahakalapada Police Station Shyamaghana Behera was on Tuesday sent to jail in connection with the custodial death of a theft-accused Abinash Paital in August last year.

Reportedly, Behera who was absconding since then, surrendered before the Kendrapara Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) yesterday. Subsequently, he was produced in the District & Sessions Judge Court and sent to Barimul Jail after the court rejected his bail petition.

On August 25, 2018, 25-year-old Abinash Paital alia Musha, son of Sarat Chandra Paital of Balana village in Kendrapara district was brought to Mahakalapada Police Station by the cops on charges of stealing mobile phone. However, his body was found hanging inside a house, some 200 mts away from the police station the very next day.

Though police officials claimed that Paital escaped while he had gone to attend nature’s call and later committed suicide, his family members alleged he died due to physical torture by the then IIC Shyamaghana Behera.

Based on these allegations, a Crime Branch probe was directed and Behera was placed under suspension.

“As per the directive of the Orissa High Court, Behera surrendered before the SDJM Court and filed his bail petition in District Sessions Judge Court. However, his bail plea got rejected and he was subsequently sent to jail,” Paital’s lawyer Ananta Charan Khatua.

Meanwhile, it is being alleged that when Behera was being taken to the jail yesterday, deceased Paital’s lawyer was manhandled by some people present at the spot. The police officials are yet to comment on the matter.