The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha chief secretary to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within a fortnight on the alleged manhandling of a 70-year-old lawyer by an IAS probationer in Balasore district.
File Photo: IANS
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha chief secretary to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within a fortnight on the alleged manhandling of a 70-year-old lawyer by an IAS probationer in Balasore district.
“In view of the above, the Commission is of the considered view that the allegations leveled in the complaint are serious violations of the Human Rights of the victims. Accordingly, the Registry is directed to send a copy of the complaint to the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha, Bhubaneswar to examine the matter and submit the report expeditiously within a period of 15 days”, the NHRC stated in an order on Wednesday.
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Prasanna Kumar Nanda, Secretary General, All Odisha Lawyers’ Association had earlier drawn the attention of the top rights panel, alleging that the senior advocate, Purusottam Das, was abused and manhandled on 6 June last by probationary IAS officer Ms. Shamal Kalyanrao Bhagat. Subsequently on 9 June, police forcibly detained and tortured him, pressuring him to undertake a false confession.
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The 70-year-old advocate was later arrested on 10 June after the IAS probationer filed a complaint at Sahadevkhunta police station.
The complainant filed on behalf of All Odisha Lawyers’ Association (AOLA) requested the Commission’s intervention in preservation of CCTV footage, undertaking an independent enquiry into the matter and considering suitable compensation for the victim and stern action against the errant police officers.
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