This Article is From May 09, 2011

Mob takes away detainee from police custody

Orissa: In a show of anger against law-enforcing agency, a mob barged into Rajkanika police station in Orissa's Kendrapara district and took away a detainee from police custody.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening after police picked up a teacher of a government-run high school and allegedly manhandled him in the police station.

As the news spread, a large number of people including women from nearby localities marched to the police station and forcibly snatched away the accused teacher, according to eye-witness accounts.

Ratnakar Rout (34), an ad-hoc teacher of nearby government-run Kanika high school, had been detained on charge of keeping close ties with a newly formed trade union headed by an ex-gangster.

The mob that that freed Rout did not indulge in act of vandalism even as the police officials fearing possible attack from the angry crowd had fled the police station leaving the lowly ranked constables to face the people's wrath.

"I was sleeping in my house in Tentulikani. Police knocked at my house and I was dragged into a police van. They slapped me after I inquired. Later they told me that I am being detained for getting involved in the trade union run by an-ex gangster. I politely refuted the allegations. Then they beat me up mercilessly. One of my colleagues, who had rushed to the police station was also beaten up," said Rout.

"The incident is being probed. The detention was part of the pending warrant execution drive being undertaken by the district police. It was later found that the teacher was innocent and was unlawfully detained; the errant police officials would face disciplinary action," Narasingha Bhol, Kendrapara Superintendent of Police, said.

Protesting against the police atrocity, the district Congress Committee has decided to stage demonstration in front of Rajkanika police station on May 13.


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