Bhubaneswar: The Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Barang Police Station in Cuttack district has been transferred amid allegations of custodial torture of a man in connection with a missing woman case.
Barang PS IIC Niranjan Nayak has been moved to the office of the Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), while the in-charge of Purighat Police Station, Biswa Ranjan Nayak, has been given additional responsibility for Barang Police Station.
The action comes amid allegations that Rakesh Behera was detained and allegedly assaulted by police after he reportedly refused to identify a recovered body as that of his missing wife. Behera’s family has claimed that he was taken to a forest area and assaulted by a group of policemen, leaving him critically injured.
However, Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo has denied the allegations of custodial torture, stating that Behera is undergoing treatment for kidney and lung-related ailments.
Meanwhile, Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania has sought a detailed report into the incident following complaints raised by locals of Chandiprasad village.
According to reports, Behera’s wife went missing on May 16, following which he lodged a complaint at Barang Police Station. The body of an unidentified woman was later recovered from the Mahanadi River on May 22, after which Behera was called in for questioning.
Villagers alleged that Behera had told police that the recovered body was not that of his wife, who was later found in Delhi. They further alleged that despite his statement, he was detained and assaulted in custody.
Following the incident, hundreds of villagers staged a road blockade on the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar route on Friday (May 29), demanding updates on Behera’s health condition and action against those responsible.
Behera is currently undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.