Youth picked by cops over mobile theft dies, kin allege foul play

Kendrapara: The death of a youth hours after he was picked by Mahakalapada police over mobile theft sparked tension with locals staging a road blockade at Balana Chhak here today.

The deceased, Abinash Paitol of Balanadaspur village under Marshaghai police station in Kendrapara district, was arrested and brought to Mahakalapada police station yesterday in connection with a three-month old mobile theft case.

Police officials claimed that Abinash escaped while he had gone to attend nature's call at around 10 pm yesterday. Though a search operation was subsequently launched, Abinash could not be traced last night.

Later, Abinash's body was recovered hanging inside a house, some 200 meters away from the police station today.

Soon after the incident, villagers and family members of Abinsh staged a road blocked road by burning tyres at Balana Chhak disrupting vehicular movement between Jambu and Marshaghai.

The villagers alleged that the cops demanded money to release Abinash and as his family members did not pay the sum, the police officials murdered him.

Demanding a compensation of Rs 30 lakh for the kin of the deceased, locals staged the demonstration. Meanwhile, family members of Abinash also alleged foul play behind his death.

"He was arrested at around 2 pm yesterday in some two to three months old theft case. The police officials thrashed him for which my son died. Later, his body was hanged in that house," alleged Abinash's mother adding that his son was implicated in a false case.