Bhubaneswar: Talchua Marine Police Station personnel have come under sharp scrutiny following serious allegations of custodial torture made by a woman and her son.
According to a complaint filed with Pattamundai Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Annapurna (58), wife of Paban Kumar Mandal of Giriapahi village under Baghamari panchayat, and her son Ananta Mandal were called to police station on May 25 in connection with a complaint filed by Paban. They were detained at the station till midnight and meted out third-degree torture on the police station premises.
They alleged that woman IIC Sandhya Rani Jena and police personnel verbally abused them and physically assaulted them.
Annapurna claimed she was beaten with lathis and assaulted in a half-naked condition in front of her son. Her son, Anant, also accused the police of brutal treatment saying police summoned us and took us inside a toilet where a Havildar and a woman IIC assaulted both me and my mother.
Annapurna further alleged that the police seized her son Anant’s mobile phone and forced both of them to sign on blank papers. The mother-son duo was allegedly detained and subjected to torture inside the police station till 11:40 PM before being released.
However,, senior police officials strongly denied the allegations of custodial torture and assault, terming the claims as “baseless and fabricated.”
Further investigation into the matter is awaited.
