Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has ordered payment of compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh each to two persons who were "wrongfully" jailed on the charge of killing a boy, who returned home alive after two years.
The alleged murder case took place in Baragarh district in 2016. The police arrested two persons - Halu Gurla and Raghab Naik on the charge of killing Jitu Dandasena, who was later found roaming in Kolkata with mental ailments.
Dandasena of Piplipali village under Paikamal police limits in Bargarh district went missing on December 7, 2016. Though the police had earlier filed a case of kidnapping, it later based on the investigation report of Paikamal police station inspector-in-charge (IIC) Prakash Kumar Karna, turned the case into a case of murder.
The OHRC has recommended that the compensation amount of Rs 5 lakh be recovered from the salary of Prakash Kumar Karna, ex-IIC of Paikamal police station, who had arrested the duo.
"... We are lenient enough to recommend payment of compensation of Rs 2,50,000 to each of the victims, namely Halu Gurla and Raghab Naik. The commission further recommends that the total compensation of Rs 5 lakh to be recovered from the salary of Shri Prakash Kumar Karna, ex-IIC, Paikamal police station," the order signed by OHPRC chairperson Justice Bimal Prasad Das and member Asim Amitabh Dash said. The order was passed on November 9.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer, L N Panda while supervising the case has been negligent. He should have been more careful in his approach while conducting the supervision which he had not done, the panel said.
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"We do not recommend any punishment like a financial burden on him," it said.
As per reports, one Jitu Dandasena of Piplipali village under Paikamal police limits in Bargarh district went missing on December 7, 2016. During the course of investigation, police arrested Halu Gurla and Raghab Naik of Bargarh town on December 24, 2016 on charges of murder and destruction of evidence. The two were later sent to jail.
However, Dandasena returned home in 2018. The two arrested persons had moved the OHRC seeking justice after their release from jail.
PTI
