Bhubaneswar: Police have detained two persons in connection with an assault case linked to an alleged coconut theft incident in the Banpur area of Khordha district, which later resulted in the death of a man identified as Tofan Nayak of Bhimpur village.
The detained persons have been identified as Pabitra Rout (51) and Sarat Kumar Swain (60), both residents of Khanat village under Banpur police limits.
According to Banpur IIC Jayaprakash Parida, the incident occurred on Sunday evening (June 28) after police received a Dial 112 emergency call around 5 pm reporting a theft-related altercation in the village. A police team reached the spot around 6 pm and rescued Tofan Nayak, who was allegedly being assaulted by villagers on suspicion of coconut theft.
The injured man was taken to Banpur police station for safety, and his family was informed. He was later handed over to his family around 8:25 pm after a written acknowledgment, the IIC said.
Parida said CCTV footage shows that Tofan remained outside the police station for some time and was advised to undergo a medical examination, which he reportedly refused. He also denied allegations of custodial death, stating that the deceased was not in police custody in a coercive manner and had been rescued from an assault situation.
Police said the initial Dial 112 information pertained to a theft-related incident and added that further investigation is underway. A special team has been formed by the Superintendent of Police to probe all aspects of the case, including allegations of mob assault and possible lapses, if any.
On Monday (June 29), a family member took Tofan to Banpur Community Health Centre, from where he was later shifted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Doctors there declared him dead.
The deceased’s mother has alleged visible injury marks on the body and demanded a high-level inquiry along with strict action against both police personnel and villagers allegedly involved in the assault.
Police have stated that the exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem examination. Khordha SP Parmar Smit Parshottamdas also rejected allegations of custodial torture, stating that preliminary findings suggest the deceased had already sustained injuries in an assault prior to police intervention.
Further investigation is in progress.
