Bhubaneswar: Khordha Superintendent of Police (SP) Parmar Smit Parshottamdas on Monday dismissed allegations of custodial torture in the death of a man arrested in connection with a coconut theft case, stating that preliminary findings suggest he had already sustained injuries in a mob assault before police intervened.
The deceased has been identified as Tofan Nayak of Bhimpur village under Banpur police limits.
The SP said a detailed investigation is underway and further action will be taken after the post-mortem report is received.
According to police, on Sunday they received information that Tofan was being assaulted by villagers on suspicion of coconut theft. A police team immediately intervened, rescued the injured Tofan, and brought him to the police station for safety.
“He was rescued from a situation where he had already been beaten by villagers. We have CCTV footage and other evidence. There is nothing to hide, and the matter is under investigation,” the SP said while speaking to a regional television channel.
However, the incident has sparked serious allegations from the deceased’s family, who have accused the police of custodial torture. The family claimed that Tofan was taken into custody after being accused of coconut theft and was later beaten inside the police station.
They further alleged that police informed them he was unwell and required medical attention. He was first taken to Banpur Community Health Centre and later shifted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where doctors declared him dead.
The deceased’s mother alleged that visible injury marks were found on the body. “We were told he was unwell. Blood was coming out of his mouth, and he was also defecating on the way to the hospital,” she said.
The family has demanded a high-level inquiry and strict action against both police personnel and villagers allegedly involved in the assault.
Police, however, stated that the family at Banpur CHC claimed the deceased fell ill after consuming alcohol, while the attending doctor noted visible injury marks.
The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination, police added, after which further legal steps will be taken.
The incident has also drawn attention amid a series of recent mob violence cases in Odisha, including the alleged lynching of a Government Railway Police constable in Balianta and another assault incident in Rayagada, raising fresh concerns over law and order in the state.
