15 year-old tourtured in custody, departmental custody ordered

A 15-year-old dalit boy was allegedly tortured in custody in front of his father in Odisha's Kendrapara district earlier this week leading to the ordering of a departmental inquiry into the incident.

A 15-year-old dalit boy was allegedly tortured in custody in front of his father in Odisha's Kendrapara district earlier this week leading to the ordering of a departmental inquiry into the incident.

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Official sources today said State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has also sought a detailed report on the incident following the outrage among the people and demands for punishment of the concerned police officer.

Fifteen-year-old Ranjan Jena of Rajagada village, a standard nine student of a government high school, was summoned to the Rajnagar police station for allegedly playing on the road with his friends on Monday.

He was allegedly made to do sit-ups and then beaten up in front of his father and other villagers inside the police station by a police officer. The boy was later hospitalised.

His father Gopinath said the boy was beaten black and blue inside the police station. "My son is physically and mentally hurt," said he. Local police, however, said the boy was a perpetual mischief monger and to discipline him he was asked to do the sit-ups.