Bhubaneswar: A 32-year-old man from Ganjam district died on Monday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Berhampur. His family has accused the police of subjecting him to severe custodial torture at Kabisuryanagar police station.
The deceased has been identified as Sushant Sahu of Subulia village.
According to family members, Sushant was detained by police on May 25 in connection with a stone blasting case and was kept in custody at Kabisuryanagar police station for several days. He was handed over to his family on Saturday in a critical condition. He was first admitted to a hospital in Aska and later shifted to Berhampur for better treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The family alleged that Sushant was brutally assaulted while in police custody, resulting in serious injuries. His wife, Mamajin Pardhan, claimed that her husband, a daily wage labourer who was also physically challenged, was picked up by police after a minor verbal altercation at his workplace. She alleged that police beat him severely, causing blisters all over his body, and even poured hot water on him. He was allegedly tortured for nearly a week before being released in a critical state.
The incident has sparked outrage among locals, with demands for a fair investigation into the allegations of custodial torture.
