An official inquiry has been launched into allegations of custodial torture involving a woman and her son by personnel at the Talachua Marine Police Station in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, a senior officer stated on Wednesday.
Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria on Wednesday said that he had personally visited the police station to look into the matter.
The SP said that Pattamundai SDPO Sukant Kumar Patra has been tasked with conducting a formal inquiry and must submit a detailed report within 48 hours.
“Action will be initiated against the accused officials based on the findings of the inquiry,” the SP said.
The alleged victims, identified as 55-year-old Annapurna Mandal and her 31-year-old son Ananta Kumar Mandal from Giripahi village, have accused the inspector-in-charge of the Talachua Marine Police Station, Sandhyarani Jena, and another officer of subjecting them to brutal third-degree torture inside the station on Monday.
The ordeal reportedly began after Annapurna’s husband, Manoranjan Mandal, lodged a complaint against his wife and son on Sunday regarding a domestic dispute, prompting the police to summon the duo for questioning the following day.
According to Annapurna and her son, they were brutally assaulted while in custody, locked inside a toilet for nearly four hours, and forced under duress to sign blank sheets of paper. Annapurna further levelled the shocking claim that she was forcibly disrobed and that police officers deliberately wiped the sindoor from her forehead, while her son Ananta’s mobile phone was confiscated.
Both victims sustained multiple injuries during the incident and were subsequently admitted to the Community Health Centre in Rajnagar, where a medical examination reportedly confirmed the presence of injury marks across their bodies.
However, Jena denied all allegations.
The SDPO said appropriate action would follow on the findings of the inquiry.
