Bhubaneswar: There was no custodial torture in the Balichandrapur police station incident, where accused Rabindra Mallik was alleged to have been tortured and consumed pesticide, clarified Jajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Yashpratap Shrimal.
According to the SP, Mallik had a land dispute with his neighbour, which led to a fight on August 2. Mallik threw hot gruel on his neighbour, injuring a young woman and her father. They lodged a complaint, and Mallik was detained at the police station.
The SP revealed that while in custody, Mallik found a pesticide bottle on the premises and staged a drama of drinking the poison. However, CCTV footage clearly shows that Mallik did not consume the poison but instead threw it.
The SP emphasised that the IIC of Balichandrapur police station is clean and innocent, and no offence was committed inside the station. The SP also announced that Mallik will be arrested soon, and legal action will be taken against him.
Notably, the SP had suspended three police personnel for dereliction of duty following the alleged custodial torture allegation. The SP’s clarification comes after reviewing the CCTV footage, which reveals the truth behind the incident.
