Orissa - People's watch

FF Code : EU/OR/KHURDA /160/2008
Victim(s) : Duryodhan Nayak
Perpetrator(s) : 1) Majhi Babu, PO, Balakati out post;
2) Gangadhar Kar, police officer, Balakati out post;
3) Pradyumna Majhi, ASI, Balianta PS
Location : 1) Balakati out post ; 2) Balianta PS
Date of incident : 1 July 2008
Background and Summary of the case:
Orissa
142
Annual Report on Torture
2008
The victim Duryodhan Nayak (47) was a resident of Arakanta village, Khurda. He worked as a Sebayat
at Baleswar Mahadev Temple, Sarakana.
On 30 July 2008 in the evening, Duryodhan was informed that the utensils of the temple had been stolen.
He did not go to directly the temple to inform the Sebayat brothers of the matter.
On the next day at about 10 AM, police constable Pradyumna Majhi of Balakati out post, Jayakishore
Pattnaik and Bishnu Mallick came to the village and inquired the villagers about the theft. Then police
instructed Duryodhan to come to Balakati out post, where he reached at about 11.30 A.M. When he
entered the outpost, Majhi Babu attacked him and verbally abused him. Majhi Babu then went away
and left Duryodhan trembling with fear. He was not provided with food until 2 PM. At about 12 PM Majhi
Babu returned and asked him whether he would admit the theft or be tortured. When Duryodhan replied
that he did not know anything about the theft, Majhi Babu started beating him with a stick.
After that police constable Gangadhar Kar tied his hands and legs and began beating his body. He was
beaten so severely that he became unconscious. Duryodhan did not receive medical attention though
was severely injured by the police beatings. When he asked why his hands and legs were tied, the
police officers stated, that as a principle, whoever would come to the outpost would be handcuffed.
Duryodhan’s family was not informed of his detention.
On 2 July 2008 Duryodhan’s relative Tapan Naikwent to the outpost and inquired about Duryodhan. As
Duryodhan did not dare to tell him anything about the incident, he only told him that he would tell him later,
when they had returned to his house.
On 3 July 2008 at about 10.30 AM, Majhi Babu took Duryodhan to Balianta police station. When Majhi
Babu and Pattnaik accompanied him to the police station, they threatened him not to tell anything about
the incident in police station. They told him that if the Inspector-in-Charge would ask why he had been
taken to the outpost, he should say that he had slept near Sarkana Bhagabat High School and had been
brought to the outpost by Majhi Babu on 2 July 2008.
When they arrived at Balianta police station, the police took Duryodhan’s fingerprints and his signature
on a blank paper. Then he was taken to Deputy Commissioner of Police’s office. At 2 PM Duryodhan