Govt worker stripped, beaten up by police for no offence

CUTTACK: A government employee was stripped, put in the lock-up for hours and allegedly beaten by police at Athagarh in Orissa's Cuttack district, for no offence.

Akhaya Kumar Mohanty, a soil conservation department employee at Athagarh sub-division was picked by police on Tuesday last from his office after he refused to accompany the cops in search of his office watchman against whom a complaint was filed by a woman, official sources said on Friday.

Mohanty was stripped in the police station, put in the lock-up for hours and allegedly beaten up by police, they said. Mohanty was released from the police station after the
locals gheraoed the police station. The state government suspended the police station in-charge and transferred the second officer after the incident came to light, sources said.

The government has also sought a report from the director general of police (DGP) about the matter. Prabir Das, a social activist has moved the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking its intervention and proper inquiry into the matter. He also demanded a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the victim from the state government.