Sambalpur man arrested for theft dies in custody, his family alleges torture

Police said Kadir Sheikh was given a clean bill of health in the medical examination conducted soon after his arrest.

Published on: Mar 18, 2025, 22:12:57 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A 27-year-old man arrested on charges of stealing a submersible water pump in Odisha’s Sambalpur district died in police custody on Monday, triggering allegations of torture in custody.

Mohd Kadir Sheikh’s family alleged on Tuesday that Sheikh was beaten through the day inside the police station after his arrest. (Getty Images)

Police said Mohammad Kadir Sheikh, a resident of Khistianpada in Hirakud area of Sambalpur, died at the district hospital on Monday, hours after he was arrested in connection with the theft of a submersible pump and some wires from a godown. Kadir had been arrested on Sunday evening following a complaint. Police said the stolen pump and some other items were seized from him.

Police said Kadir Sheikh was given a clean bill of health in the medical examination conducted soon after his arrest. But he later collapsed when he was going to be produced before a magistrate. He was taken to VIMSAR, Burla where the doctor declared him as ‘brought dead’.

His family alleged on Tuesday that Sheikh was beaten through the day inside the police station after his arrest.

“Why were the family members not informed of his detention and how did he suddenly fall ill in court despite being declared healthy earlier at Hirakud Medical. How did he become so unwell in court,” asked his sister.

Sambalpur district Congress president Jay Shankar Mishra met additional SP Amaresh Mishra to seek action against the guilty officers. The delegation also visited Sheikh’s family.

Activist Jayant Kumar Das sought the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission, alleging that the police tortured him in a location without CCTV coverage. “He was denied food and water throughout his confinement. His family was not informed about his arrest, violating section 41B of BNS, which mandates police to notify relatives,” Das said in his petition.

The Sambalpur police has denied allegations of torture. Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo said “the preliminary post-mortem report suggests it was a natural death and there are no visible injury marks on the body.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.